The new Tomorrows Tulips music video is up and it has little kids looking like Kurt Cobain. So smart. On another note, its Spring Breaky, go find your Spring Break Lover. Thats all for now. lubs.
Showing posts with label Summer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Summer. Show all posts
Casual Hopelessness
Uh Ohhhz
What happens when my 2 favorite internet personalities get together? They have an interview, talk about twitter, and stuff that friends do? Check it out, Sarah Morrison aka @SarahMorrison and DJ Skeet Skeet, aka, Trevor McFedries aka @skeetonmytwitts talk real life problem solving solutions.
Tomorrows Tulips Feature
The OC Weekly interviewed Alex Knost about Tomorrows Tulips and the hiatus of the Japanese Motors. Keep on reading.Costa Mesa garage rockers Japanese Motors shocked the local scene when they informed OC Weekly last Tuesday that they were ditching their Jan. 20 gig with Vice label mates the Black Lips at Detroit Bar, canceling all upcoming shows including SXSW dates and going on "indefinite hiatus."
After playing a bit of phone tag, I got a hold of front man Alex Knost (he's also a pro surfer) this morning at his Costa Mesa home to discuss Tomorrows Tulips, the new duo he formed with girlfriend Christina Kee. I also asked him why Japanese Motors came to a screeching halt and if the band had a future. Knost offered fresh news concerning both projects.
OC Weekly (Wade Tatangelo): So, what prompted the formation of Tomorrows Tulips?
Alex Knost: Well, I really don't remember, exactly. I think Christina said something about hating to go to Paul Mitchell hair school and I asked her what she always wanted to do. She said she wanted to learn drums but thought that was ridiculous. We have similar taste in music and I showed her great songs that don't have complex drumming, played her Son of a Gun by the Vaselines, one of our favorite groups ... as soon a she put her ear to it and just concentrated on the beat, one hand on the snare drum, it gave her the confidence to just start whacking stuff.
Q: How long between when Christina started "whacking" the drums and the formation of Tomorrows Tulips?
A: By the next day we had three or four ideas for songs. Obviously, practice makes things a little perfect. I'd say maybe two or three months later we started playing around
Q: What's the story behind the name, Tomorrows Tulips?
A: It's kind of an inside joke. That's something for ourselves. We don't want to give it all away, y'know?
Q: Fair enough. The sound of Tomorrows Tulips is a lot dreamier and experimental leaning than Japanese Motors's. Would led you down this new musical path?
A: I still consider myself juvenile. I can barely play compared to most bands. You listen to 1960s music, it's not complicated, it's rock & roll. When you don't know how to do something very well it forces you to be creative and use trickery. The best thing about Christina being new on drums as she stumbles on all this creative stuff because it's first instinct. We're really trying to embody DIY aesthetic.
Q: Japanese Motors toured nationally and were signed to Vice. How serious are you about Tomorrows Tulips?
A: We're just gonan take it day by day. Obviously, we're passionate about it. We have this feeling of absolute fearlessness. We just recorded eight songs over at the Distillery [studio] on analog tape just like bands did in the 1960s and 70s. The [as-yet-untitled] EP will come out on the Papermade label that did the Dirt Dress series.
Q: Do you have a release date?
A: It will Take a little bit of time. We're only putting it out on cassette and vinyl. CDs are great to burn for friends but the lifespan is short. Tapes and vinyl last for a long time. We're doing that and writing new songs and talking to labels about a full-length we want to get done by the summer so we can hit road and start touring.
Q: Sound like between Tomorrows Tulips and surfing you have your hands full. Is Japanese Motors done?
A: Yeah, for the time being we all have decided to put in on shelf., we have full-length we never put out who knows what will happen in future after talking to [guitarist/bassist Nolan Hall] and hes' going to focus on photography. [Drummer Andrew Atkinson went back to his job. Nolan is working closely with Vans shoes and several magazines and looking to do showings of photographs and I'm excited for him. [Putting Japanese Motors on hiatus] was a mutual thing ... I'm really looking forward to Tomorrows Tulips. When you watch some like Christina make a song it really lights a fire in me creatively. It's been just the two of us but have been having people playing bass like Nolan and Matt McCluer of the Sweet Sweet Things. He's a very inspiring person to be around very with a profound work ethic.
Q: Do you plan to eventually grow Tomorrows Tulips from a twosome to a band?
A: We'll keep it as a two-piece as far as writing but it would be great to also play with talented musicians.
Q: Not to belabor this but Japanese Motors had a bunch of high profile dates coming up, opening for Black Lips playing SXSW, etc. Why stop now?
A: I think when you're passionate about something, obviously we worked hard to get where we were at, you don't want to sacrifice emotions. Having to keep playing due to pressure [to fulfill commitments] feels like a gimmick. We don't wanna do something we don't feel passionate about. We feel bad to the venues we left dry and fans but don't want be somewhere if our head is somewhere else. The future is unwritten, but as of right now, all feel strongly {about going on hiatus].
Gig Posters
Over the past couple of months I've found a new passion in print and the whole process. This super long slide of gig posters done by Folk This Town are amazing.
New Yearz - Pt. II
Its a new decade, yet I feel as if yesterdays tomorrow is here. To go over the top high lights of the past decade would be cliche and typical. So I will briefly do something along those lines. The fact that 10 years ago I was only in 6th grade and just learning how to work the internetz and a computer for that fact, I have learned to love certain things. So these certain things can be related to music and what type of music I was into at the time. I swear, every year I changed what type of music I listened to, which makes me appreciate what music I listen to these days. To start off with the early years of the past decade; I would always watch the box growing up, so the fake MTV wannabe sold out and left me music less. I started out by loving the Californication album by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. So great, made me love alternative music. Then insert my best friend, Hema, he brought something in my life that made my junior high years so weird. He brought rap music into my life, along with the hip hop lifestyle and break dancing. Yes, confession, I took break dancing lessons for 2 years and listened to rap. wow. Along with junior high came, wait for it, sports. Yes I liked sports, wow times two. I played basketball for the junior high team and thought I was on top of the world. Now to high school where I thought I knew who I was. Trying to find myself, I again turned to Hema as he introduced me to one of my saving graces, Taking Back Sunday. I went from listening to Nelly and 2Pac to the emo/punk scene of TBS. Along with this new outlook on music/life I grew my hair out and tried to become the rockstar I've always wanted to be while trying to continue what I started by playing all 3 years of high school football. Gross. The next stage/music scene in my life I came to appreciate the acoustic surf scene with acts like Jack Johnson, Tristan Prettyman and such. I dreamed about being in an alternate life of dealing with the ocean everyday. Obviously, didn't happen. Whatevs. But I'm over it, So on to the next stage of my life, after high school, I worked one of my most favorite jobs for Anderson Tile. I learned a lot about myself that year and a half of being away from my family and friends and just working. My iPod was prolly my bestest friend with out a doubt. After that ended I called up my favorite immigrant, mi amigo, Benjamin Lopez and we took on Salt Lake Community College and conquered what was ours for the taking. Community college education will always have a place in my heart foreverz. Now insert Delta Spirit, the indie music scene was what I needed. So great. During my appreciation for the folk music and SLCC I took the best class of my life, Decade of the 60s. The more I went to school trying to figure out what interested me, I kept falling back on one thing, Design. Art. Freedom. Which leads me to where I am right now, sitting here trying to blog and say something interesting to read. Along with these 10 years of life and music under my belt, I look to the next 10 years of whatever. Who knows, maybe I'll try to grow up or something.
Other things, worth knowing about me: Nirvana, Kurt Cobain, Slash, skateboarding, LA, college, biographies, surf, Andy Irons, pirates, RVCA, Japanese Motors, Alex Knost, design, art, Bob Dylan, twitter, blackberry, blogging, blonde hair, flannel shirts, Chuck Bass, Ata, the office, tv, internetz, DJ Skeet Skeet, Shwayze, Whitestarr, Cisco Adler, rock n roll, stupid facebook, Gossip GIrl, the OC, helvetica, Sarah Morrison, Katie, Justin, Jake, Kirk, Cindy, Kyl, Kyle, Annie, Jodi, Stu, cousins, Hema, Purdie's, Delta Spirit, 2pac, Run DMC, Anthony Kiedis, PR, mandration, kelzone, Mason, Ben, RedBull, whoppsycakes....blah, blah, blah, lubs.
kbye.
The Summers End
Its Labor Daybor. Well, its the night/ending of Labor Day. I sit here and realize that summer is over. So, I would like to take this time to recall how much has happened over the past 4 and a half months. In no particular order:
I had a birthday, I made new friends (in real life and on facebook), I lost some friends, two musical icons left us, watched Hema play shows, had an awesome Kool-Aid social to kick off the summer, had a tea party in the middle of the rain, had a BBQ with one of my new heroes, met Beardo, went to a show at the famous ROXY in downtown LA, got searched + questioned and still got out of Mexico with out a passport, watched Mason loose his money in Vegas, spent $10 on a hamburger, sold a text book for 50 bones, my brother got married, Sarah Morrison started following me on twtiter, discovered a lot of new music, found a new favorite pair of jeans, Chris came home from his mission, Joe started to mandrate, my best friend discovered a long lost brother, watched Mason buy home-made rap CDs from black dudes at Venice Beach, bought some TOMS/donated a pair of shoes to a child in need, I came to adore the Holladay Homegirls, got married on facebook, made black/white lifestyle tshirts, counted all the shirts I own, bought a new sailor necklace in Mexico, wrote/sang a song with Kelli and Hema and dedicated it to Mason, sat around a fire and ate popsicles, went swimming just about every day, visited over 5 American Apparels' in less than a week, saw Michael Jacksons star in Hollywood, bought a leather jacket, had more than one failed summer fling, watched TV seasons/series on DVD nightly, got more followers on twitter, created a new facebook group, became a proud owner of a domain, had the best road trip of my life, got caught up in some drama, attempted to clean my room multiple times, sat on the curb while Kelli sang a song that she wrote for me/about me, skated with Kyle, had dinner with a friend from high school, went camping, made an official business card, had some come to Jesus talks with Justin + Katie, saw a rival from high school and made amends, hung out with my favorite aunt Vangie, started wearing rosaries for some reason, talked with an intern at a record label for hours, made little Asian girls mad at a concert, failed my eye test to renew my license, started to wear fake Buddy Holly glasses for a half second, went to a lame dollar movie with Stu, tried to keep up on my blog, made fun of Cooper for buying his Baby Boo Camero, almost peed in a Dairy Queen cup with dried up ice cream in Masons car, made a list of all the reasons why me and Annie are friends, played a joke on Jodi, surfed across a swimming pool, played some hopscotch at an elementary school, got a parking ticket and made Cooper pay half of it, went to Paper Heart with Annie, saw Taking Back Sunday in concert, Norma cut my hair a couple of times, ate too many quesadillas, met Tony Potato, thought I met my soul mate, watched a kid poop his pants and laugh at himself, received a gift card for $40, wasted hrs at a time on video ichat, sat in sky chairs with Kelli, purchased some new Sperry sailor shoes, bought a new fedora, went to Idaho a couple of times, started some propaganda against Obamas Youth, spent $10 in late fees for a RedBox movie I got for free with a code, wore the same pair of jeans almost every day, witnessed a homeless guy get escorted out of a hotel pool, went and got free fries at Tonyburgers, convinced people that Ben was stuck in Mexico, drank a lot of blackberry lemonade, sat in my car for over 2 hours in a rain storm with Aliska, Joe invited us over to swim and have a BBQ at the lodge, had the best churros I've ever had, had Chili's for every meal for about a week, started mixing RedBull with Margarita mix for my new favorite drink, broke Annies blender, read Heath Ledgers boring bio, saw 500 Days of Summer with Kelli, walked around downtown Salt Lake with Hema + Stu one afternoon, rode public transportation for fun, went to one of the lamest dance parties ever, attended the SLCC Murder Mystery dinner, almost witnessed a break up of a solid relationship/couple, had a photo shoot with Annie for fun.... and I'm sure this list could go on, but summer is now over and alls I have to show for it is my fading tan and the memories.
Now, with the memories of summer out of the way, bring on whats next. Fall, you are my favorite time of year. FAVORITE. I don't quite understand why you are my favorite, but you are. I mean, I hate the responsibility that comes along with the Fall, like school and such. What a serious drag school is. Then you have Christmas, the happiest time of the year, minus the crappy weather. But you get to watch HOME ALONE for hours. I'm getting too far ahead of myself. First things first, lets do this, Fall, you have your work cut out for you, don't screw up under all the pressure from what summer has provided.
That is all I got for now, LUBS + a kick in the face.
Sarah Morrison + School Cool
Whether you are heading back to middle school, high school, college, grad school, or med school; you need to do it right. If you follow these easy tips, the first week of school should be a breeze. You will have a bunch of cool new friends, a hot edgy boyfriend, and the popular girls' undying jealously for the rest of the year. Good luck girls. And stay in school!
-Back to school shopping is fun. Especially if your mom or student loans are paying. But be careful at the mall. There is a right way to do THIS. Don't buy anything in the window ANYWHERE. Everyone at school will have that stuff. And you want to be the coolest girl at school. Cool girls wear stuff that no one else is wearing. Buy your fashion staples; basic tops, leggings, hoodies, cardigans, and such (at those stores everyone shops at). Buy dresses and other flashy numbers at lesser known stores. And always think while shopping, "Would the popular girls wear this?" If the answer is YES, don't buy it. You want to be cool. And being cool means being cooler than "them."
-Never wear anything brand new the first day of school. I would actually go as far as to say the first week of school. Don't wear entire new outfits. You want to be cool. And cool girls don't try hard. They don't "notice" when it's the first day of ANYTHING. Wear a power outfit. Something you know you look good in. Accessorize it with a new pair of shoes or bag or something from that back to school shopping expedition, we discussed above. Mix in some of your new pieces with old ones. After the first week, start to throw in a new outfit or two, a week. But no more than 2 a week! You are trying to be cool.
-Don't do anything weird. Don't try to cut your bangs the night before school starts. Don't get those rainbow-dollar bill-unicorn acrylics you've always wanted, the weekend before the special day. Don't get a chemical peel or try extracting blackheads from your skin with a pair of tweezers hours before your first class. Don't chop your hair off. Don't wear right-outta-the-package weave hair. Cool girls don't try. You want to look effortless. Save the drastic changes for boredom come October.
-Don't purchase notebooks for every class you are taking. And don't show up to class with all these blank notebooks, with the title of each class written on them in pink Sharpie. One: You MAY change classes. Two: You MAY look retarded. Bring one notebook the first day of school and a pen. Nothing is going to happen the first week anyway. So it's a good time to look extra cool.
-Write stuff you need to know down. Don't be that girl writing down everything the teacher says. Teachers don't teach until at least the second week of school. All the cool kids know that.
-Sit near other cool looking kids in class. Don't talk to them. Just locate yourself in their proximity to them, in case the teacher asks you to pair up or you need to borrow a pen because yours is effortlessly holding your cool casual hair in a bun or something. You are really cool. They will notice this.
-If lockers are applicable to your back to school experience, use them wisely. Sometimes you will be able to pick your locker. Sometimes some adult will assign you one. Eh. No problem. Lockers can easily be switched and moved after the first week. Do not fear if yours has an exceptionally lame location. Use this time to scope out your locker move. Your locker should be somewhere with lots of traffic. Where all the other cool kids walk and will see you. Your locker's location is far more important than whose locker is near yours. Your locker isn't trying to be cool either. It just "is."
-You are too cool to care about lunchroom politics. You and your cool self can totally sit alone. You are THAT cool. Let them come to you. Let them ask if they can sit with you. And if there are no tables open, and you are looking around at that sea of faces panicing; do NOT fear. Pretend you are just walking through. Seem busy. Go eat outside or somewhere else. People will think you were doing something cooler than eating. Pretend you are doing something cooler than eating. PRETEND you are doing something cooler than "them."
Peace + Love Is All I Need
Check this out, an original song written by Kelli Jean Russell, or known in the blogging world as Kelzone. I feel honored to have a song dedicated to me, or at least with my name in the lyrics. Good gosh, this is so AWESOME. Bahhhhh!!!! LUB YOU.
One + Only's
This is 'bout our one and only's
memories that comfort when we're lonely;
I'll never forget the day we met
that lame dance party but I'll never regret;
I liked the way you moved 'cross the floor,
your smiles, styles; I wanted to know more.
I never imagined that in the end
we'd become the best of friends.
o-o But we've become the best of friends
o-o I'm here for you till the bitter end.
Jordan wears his too tight jeans,
rock and roll is what he sings,
Sarah Morrison's who he reads,
but peace and love is all he needs.
o-o peace and love is what he needs,
o-o he finds it in the songs he sings.
This is 'bout our one and only's,
memories that comfort when we're lonely.
Hangin' at the swimming pool
by Hema's house to keep us cool;
he launched a surfboard at my head,
his face I neatly ripped to shreds,
but he so gently reminded me
of the principle to act forgivingly.
o-o he taught me to have charity,
o-o reminded me to act forgivingly.
Jordan wears his rosary,
has faith in God and does good deeds;
the Holy Bible's what he reads,
but peace and love is all he needs.
o-o Holy Bible and a rosary,
o-o finds peace and love in his good deeds.
This is 'bout our one and only's,
memories that comfort when we're lonely.
For the salvation of his soul
and the sake of our friendship I wrote this whole
song then found in reality
when it comes down to the nitty-gritty,
souls and friends aren't saved through songs,
but in our hearts is where they belong.
o-o For our friendship and his soul,
o-o in our hearts we'll keep it whole.
Jordan wears a smile on his face,
claims I am his saving grace;
Together I know we can succeed - in spreading
peace and love a all we need.
o-o we'll diminish animosity,
o-o cause peace and love is all we really need.
---
Friend of the Summer
Yes, you've seen her before and you prolly know her. Her name is Annie Salmon and she gets the Friend of the Summer award, presented by yours truly. Alls I know is that the more this summer comes to an end, the more I come to realize that Annie and I have become better friends than we ever have. Whatever happened this summer, I swear that Annie and I were doing something together. But, I really didn't care what it was, because more times than not, we did nothing, but TOGETHER. Thats friendship at its finest. To all my amigos and amigas reading this who are not Annie, then please understand that maybe you didn't text/call me enough of hang out with me more than Annie did. So you can consider your self a close second. An honor none the less. So please, if you see Annie, make sure you tell her congrats on her Friend of the Summer award. She worked hard for it, and deserves all of what it entitles... For what its worth.
Mandrate
Mandrate Dictionary
Mandrate: / man-dr8 / 1 a: To drink a man drink; ex: mood altering drinks (beer, energy drinks, muscle enhancing) 2 b: To drink an old school soda; ex: soft drinks
Mandration: / man-dr8-shun / 1 a: The process of Mandrate;
ED: / e-d / 1 a: Energy Drink; Nuff said
STD: / s-t-d / 1 a: Sleepy Truck Driver; ex. sentence: " Would you like to mandrate with an ED so we don't become STD's? "
Hydrate: / hi-dr8 / 1 a: What losers do with water; 2 b: What jocks do with sports drinks
BFC: / b-f-c / 1 a: Big Freakin Can; 2 b: Single container of 24oz or more of Mandrate; ex sentence: " Man! That was a huge BFC. "
Overdrate: / over-dr8 / 1 a: The act of drinking too many ED's in a short period of time; This usually leads to comments; ex comments: " Dude! Can you hear my heartbeat?" or " My voice is so loud in my brain."
Check this out. My buddy, my homeboy, my long lost amigo that was never lost, has put his love for hydration online. MANDRATE.com Show some lub and lets us all MANDRATE! (except for the female gender, I mean who are we kidding, look at the name, it doesn't say 'everybodydrate' so please no complaints and sorry if it seems a little harsh.)
Childhood
Do you remember your childhood? As I sit her with the one and only KELZONE watching Saved By The Bell, one of the best shows every child can relate to, I came to realize, I WANT MY CHILDHOOD BACK! I mean, times were simple right? You got to wake up in the summer, watch TV, (my personal faves were Ghost-Writer and of coarse, Saved By The Bell), then you eat your favorite cereal and go back to sleep or bum around some more. You might of had some chores to do, but seriously? Who honestly couldn't say they wanted their childhood back? I wish I could go ride my bike around the neighborhood a million times after watching the movie RAD a million times more. Or when I had all the time in the world, well actually just about 3 months of summer vacation, to do whatever it is that you REALLY wanted to do. Summer and childhood go hand in hand. Agreed?
What do YOU want back from your childhood? Whatever it is, make it happen. You owe it to your self to have what makes you happy. So if you haven't done something you WANT to do, then stop reading this and bring back your childhood and have some good times.
Time For Change
Isn't always time for change. I mean, think about how much has changed in the past month for you. You prolly made some new homies, some people that changed your life that you never thought you would have ever met. The past month has been straight cray cray. Well, maybe month in a half. But still. I mean, my road trip out of the blue for starters with Mason + Ben, then being on 'summer vacation' for the rest of the time after that. I mean I wake up and go to the pool EVERY DAY it seems. But now that its August and the heat is winding down, its time for another change. School starts in 2 weeks for most of us, and we will all part ways and meet up again at Christmas break, or if we were never that good of friends until next summer.
As for this picture dealing with change, how do you feel about Kat Von D's new hair? She is beautiful no matter what she does. But it took me a solid second to register who it was, but its still amazing.
I guess what we all now need to do is embrace the change we are all facing and run with it.
Ode To My Jeans
[Look at those jeans, you know they've been thru lots. ]
This is a serious issue. You know that one pair of jeans that will never let you down no matter what? That one pair of jeans that you wear day in day out just because you have never found a pair that even comes close to comparing. No matter how many times you try and wear a 'replacement' pair for a day or two, but when you put back on your favorite pair, how everything just seems to be better? Or when do your laundry and your favorite pair is never in their because your always wearing them so they cant be washed. However, when you do finally wash them, they always feel like a NEW pair of your favorite jeans because they kind of fit a little different due to washing/drying and the whole actually being clean and not dirty thing. None the less, your favorite pair of jeans tells a lot about a person. It says what your style is. How you treat your clothes and more importantly how loyal you are to your jeans. I RARELY change my jeans line up. My favorite skinny/black jeans always get first priority over most clothes I own. Its just the way it is. I mean I've had other pairs of favorite jeans that have now been pushed to my second or third favorite pair, and don't get me wrong, those have had their days of wear + tear, and now their on their retirement 'leg' (pun) of their life of being my favorite pair of jeans. Those second and third place jeans will always have a place in my heart forever for always being there. Your favorite pair of jeans is always your consistency of what to base your life off of at the time. If your jeans don't fit you right/make you happy, your days will suck. You wont be happy. So the question is, why try to change what is going good? If you get one thing out of this post, its just to appreciate your favorite pair of jeans to the fullest. I mean, who cares if you wear the same pair for DAYS in a row. The way I see it, if you don't care, people shouldn't either. Or if they don't smell bad then you're good to go. So wear your favorite pair of jeans. LOVE your favorite pair of jeans.
Noodles
There's always more than meets the eyes with Nathan - he's pretty crafty and you need to watch him. A lot of people think he's brash but he just responds by saying " I don’t give a ****" - It's all part of his style.
He's traveled the world on the WCT circuit, come close to winning gold, spent time building his own mini empire and recently launched RVCA Australia, not a small feat by any means.
Everybody Else
This is probably going to be another post about something you've read about on here. Everybody Else. My main goal is to get these guys to come play a show at SLCC. I know you would come, just for the fact that if I like them, then by default they are awesome. It almost seems kind of weird I'm giving so much praise to 3 dudes in a band who kind of sing love songs, but, thats what all songs are about when it comes down to it. Right? Well, read this review and be amazed. Or check out their space on the internet. http://www.myspace.com/everybodyelse
An L.A.-based trio named for a Kinks B-side, Everybody Else, owe much to the harmonies and economical songwriting of the sixties, but they draw just as much on more modern music. Meat Market grooves like Outkast but has the screaming, bluesy vocals of Little Richard or the Animals. Say Goodbye combines an electroclash beat and new wave guitars with Elvis Costello-style lead vocals and a three part harmony reminiscent of the Beach Boys. The common thread is infuriatingly catchy songs and minimalist, Dancey arrangements that sound both retro and modern at the same time. The lyrics are full of concrete images, and are often more melancholy than the music they accompany. Over the fuzzed-out disco of In Memoriam are words about mourning the memories of lost love: I still see the blue, sunken barge/ down by the shore and I/ can taste the blackberry juice on our fingers/ But theres an echo of careless, callow footsteps/ that run by so quickly. Listeners are left in that magical place where we dont really know what we are feeling, but its giving us chills.
Their debut album, "Everybody Else," was produced Rick Parker (Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Howl) and captures the spirit of their electrifying live show, marked by an energy that always seems to teeter on the edge of chaos without ever falling apart. The album is out everywhere in the United States, and has just been released in Japan and Korea. An all-acoustic version of the record, entitled "1 1/2," was released in April 2008, and an outtake EP, "Gold Noise," was released in October, 2008. The band are currently in the studio, working on a new album.
Get Ben Out Of Mexico
Last week Mason, Ben and I went down to Tijuana. Unfortunately mi amigo Ben Lopez forgot his passport back into the USA and is now being held there until we can get him his passport. Please pray for him, as he is stuck in Mexico for who knows how long. Thank you.
Education Time // Matt Costa
Matt Costa, who is of Portuguese ancestry, states his father "worked in airlines" and his mother "was around the house a lot". While young, his family moved to Florida where he "pursued skateboarding and high school on the side". Later the family moved back to Huntington Beach and at age 12, Costa received his first guitar but it was quickly shelved and replaced with a more "thrilling" gift: a skateboard. Costa compensated for his late start skateboarding with intense dedication to the sport and in a matter of years nearly turned pro. In 2003, that path shifted drastically when Matt shattered his leg in a skateboarding accident. The injury required eighteen months of recovery and rehabilitation. During that downtime, Matt directed his energy, passion and talent toward the guitar, writing and recording simple tunes. Initially, a mini tape recorder served as his crude studio. Matt's songwriting later flourished when he invested in a 4-track recorder.
In early 2003, Matt's homemade demo began circulating amongst friends and acquaintances in and around his hometown of Huntington Beach, California. One copy found its way into the hands of No Doubt guitarist Tom Dumont. Costa made such an impression that Dumont offered to record more demos for him in his home studio. Those first recordings led to a self-titled 5 song EP that Costa and Dumont distributed themselves. As interest in the EP grew, the two were already deep into the sessions that led to Songs We Sing. Considering Dumont's experience as a songwriter, one might expect him to have taken a more active role in the songwriting process. This however, was no usual mentorship, as Dumont remained behind the control board, offering encouragement, more interested in capturing Matt's talent than in shaping the songs himself. Phil Ek (Modest Mouse, The Shins) applied the finishing touches, mixing the twelve tracks that have become Songs We Sing.
Matt Costa spent the summer of 2005 opening on Jack Johnson's summer tour, playing in amphitheaters and baseball stadiums across North America. He has also supported diverse artists such as Modest Mouse, Pinback, Built to Spill, Gomez, The Vandals, My Morning Jacket, and Pearl Jam's Stone Gossard. Matt joined Jack Johnson for his 2006 European tour. He has also contributed to the Jack Johnson and Friends Curious George soundtrack; The track is entitled "Lullaby" and it features Matt Costa with Jack Johnson. This song was taken from his The Elasmosaurus EP. The soundtrack was released Tuesday, February 7, 2006. Matt toured in South America in November 2007 along with G. Love, Donavon Frankenreiter, Animal Liberation Orchestra, and artist/photographer Jay Alders. Cities they visited and performed include São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and Florianópolis.
The video for Matt's first single, "Cold December" can be viewed at his website. It was directed by the Malloys and shot in Ely, Nevada. It was released February 2, 2006. On the 31st of July 2007 Matt released an exclusive new song entitled "If You Took To Me" as part of the environmentally minded polar bear documentary Arctic Tale and its soundtrack. On the 7th of October, Matt released the first single, "Mr. Pitiful", from his new record Unfamiliar Faces. was released January 22, 2008. Originally it was to be released for October 2, 2007, but was postponed. Costa played as a supporting act for the English band Oasis' Canadian tour in August 2008, and again on their Winter 2008 U.S. tour, along with Ryan Adams and The Cardinals.
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