Category: Music

Stewie had an idea for a music video for “A Marine Biologist” and I think it’s possible. The idea is to send an email out to as many marine biologists as we can find, along with a copy of the song. We ask them to send us some footage of them working. The music video becomes a series of such footage, kind of like a cross between a music video and a documentary, with credits at the bottom of the screen for each marine biologist. So for example we could have some footage of Dr. Steve O’Shea disecting a giant squid and in text at the bottom would be something like

Dr. Steve O’Shea
systematics and biogeography of cephalopods
(whatever institution he may be working for)
New Zealand

I don’t even think there’s a need to have any band footage in there, but if there were it should be us at the Vancouver Aquarium wandering around in fishy mascot costumes. Or at least wet suits.

So, feedback? And do you know any marine biologists?

I biked out to Burnaby today. I didn’t know how long it would take so I left early. It took 40 minutes and I arrived 50 minutes early for my audition to Stargate: Atlantis.

I went to see Married to Music [link] and Nomeansno at the Red Room today. I didn’t know the order of the bands (some other band named The Jolts was playing) so I arrived at the time it said on the ticket. 8pm. I was the first one there. I was so early that I couldn’t stand it. I didn’t bring my bag so when I wanted to write my thoughts down I had to go to a corner store to get some paper and a pen. They didn’t have any notepads so I had to buy 200 sheets of lined paper, and at the show I swear there were like 4 people who were reading over my shoulder. Some even asked me what I was doing. Hey, mind your business! But in fact I was working out a business plan for a World Wildlife Federation of Justice comic. Which I will go into detail here at a later date.

The rock show, in the meantime, was fantastic. I pity all of you who missed it. Nomeansno still has it, and Married to Music [myspace link] is one of my new faves. I talked with two of the gents from MtM about them opening for our CD release party in June and they were keen. Now let’s see if we can get our album done by then.

PS – auditions are surreal things.

Married to Music w/ NOmeansno & The Jolts
Wednesday April 4th at the Red Room in Vancouver

Tickets available at Scratch, Zulu, Red Cat, Jem Gallery and Bonerattle Music.

Anybody who cares to come – I will see you there!

Mike and Taylor came over today to take some photos for the liner notes for The Shadow Out of Tim. Here, Mike is portraying Dr. Timothy O. Vess, as introduced in the second song on the album “A Marine Biologist.” My question for you – does any one of these shots jump out at you as boldly superior? I’m having a hard time deciding.

nofruit

apple

banana

carrot

durian

eggplant

fiddlehead

Questions? Comments?

580 views. I wonder who those people are.

Stewie is going to be helping (read: doing) with the layout for the album, which is a relief because I know he is a crack shot and reliable, not to mention close at hand for the beatings. Jordan had the idea of doing the cover as a photo of the pocketbook parody, which is a good one. Taylor will be the official photographer for the project, and Mike Jackson is going to be taking on the role of Dr. Timothy Vess – the protagonist in the narrative for the album, for the purposes of liner photo. I got the mixes from Brodie finally last night, and I have been listening to them in the living room, on the computer, & at Stephane’s. There are a couple things that bug me but I think I may just be over critical of my pitch. Hopefully! If Brodie is happy with it then I must trust his professional opinion. Regardless I think it will be a kickass album of ROCK.

from a few days ago:

We are mixing at Hipposonic Studios on East 3rd and Ontario. Only Jordan had time to make it in besides myself. Many of the songs on this album is going to be quite rich. Many layers of guitars and we’ve played around with a lot more instruments than is customary for a Thickets album. We’ve got melodica, keyboards (which we had previously done only on “KABLAM!” I believe), and shakers, tambourine, and even some guiro (AKA scrapyfish). We even have some robot drumming a la the “techno” music that many are known to enjoy.

“Theme to an Earthquake” is a capella plus drums (and short).
“A Marine Biologist” is full force, with very rich layered vocals and guitar.
“Blackout” is Brodie’s favourite song, and Andrea’s least favourite. It’s a rocker, for sures.
“No Way” is a little simpler and is our only “fade out” song on the album. Lots of cowbell.
“Strange” is a rock tune with a bit of keyboards.
“Return to Melanesia” is a capella plus percussion. Something completely new for Thicketdom.
“Cultists on Board” has a melodica solo.
“A Need-To-Know Basis” also has some melodica and some keyboards.
“Ride the Flying Polyp” is so ridiculously fast to play that it hurts – plus it’s all falsetto.
“Some Things Man Was Not Meant To Know” is a deep, rich son of a bitch, blasting forth with three part harmonies. It’s the longest song at about 4:50 if memory serves.
“Sleestak and Yeti” is a Thickets song.
“Downtown (in the Cenozoic)” almost had keyboards but we duplicated it with roboty guitar! One of my two favourites on the album.
“Nyarlathotep” has finger cymbals, guiro, shakers, tambo, and so much more! And it’s in Middle Egyptian. My other favourite.

On Sunday we had some appropriate TV viewing – they were showing Planet Earth: Ocean Deep on CBC. We weren’t mixing “A Marine Biologist” (I think it was “A Need-To-Know Basis” but there’s nothing like the vampire squid to get you in the proper head space for a Thickets album. Of course you can’t have sound on the TV while you’re mixing so I had to do my own David Attenborough. We celebrated Chinese New Year on Monday with me bringing a box of Chinese baked goods like egg tarts, lotus buns and Chinese donuts to the studio. We put the ‘fat’ back in “gung hei fat choy.”

“I never say this – but I really like the subject matter of this song.” – Adam at Hipposonic Studios, in reference to “A Marine Biologist.”

I have more photos but it’s bedtime. I will give you this:

You remember these covers from the old 70’s editions?

Well here’s the rough draft for the cover of “The Shadow Out of Tim”

Two years ago we were invited to play PAX. As is often the case with my band, we had some staffing difficulties and due to a last minute dropout we had to cancel PAX at the eleventh hour, which sadly they haven’t forgotten about. We’ve got some great supporters out there who want us to play PAX this August (and I want to, too) but the short answer was “no.” I feel a general undirected anger and need to vent about that – not anger directed at PAX, it’s hardly their fault – just about the situation and how it came to be. And anger about the fact that even if PAX said “yes,” as much as I’d like to take control of the situation there’s just nothing I can do about the fact that there are three other people in the band and a border crossing involved, and I have no power over those forces. So mixed in with that frustration is a little bit of relief. It would suck even worse if they said okay and then despite my best efforts we fail to pull through again. I think the answer is: NERDY SIDE PROJECT! In fact that could be the name of the band. Who’s in? Must have a valid passport and driver’s licence! It’s even better if you live in Washington – because that’s where your equipment would have to end up! Talent optional.