Thursday, September 10, 2009
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Labels
Going through the almost 150 submissions I've gotten for singers (not counting the ones that were so unarguably bad that they were deleted right after I finished scratching my head in disbelief), I thought I'd share the labels I've got going to keep track of the submissions:
- Deathy
- Eh...Didn't Hate It
- Good "Singers"
- Good Heavy Voice
- Good Heavy/Sing
- Good/Bad
- GREAT Singing Voice (sadly, there have been only one of these)
- Greg Moog (if you're in the know, you'll see why this is kinda amusing)
- Heavy
- Hell No
- I Like This Guy A Lot
- I Like This Guy Too
- Industrial!
- Interesting
- Kinda Like This Guy
- Malleable?
- Nope
- Not Metal
- Probably Not
- Sing-y
- Sounds Interesting
- Wha???????
The good news is that we have locked onto one guy in particular. He's got 10 of the demos as of this writing, and the first thing he sent back was basically right on the money. He's also got an interesting pedigree, both musically and personally. And let me tell ya, after receiving golden turkey submissions like "The Badly Recorded And Even Worse Performance YouTube Karaoke Video Featuring 'Bodies' By Drowning Pool", I was starting to get sort of worried.
So, yeah, I'm pretty stoked. It's nice to give someone a song, and a few days later hear vocals on it. It's been so long, I almost forgot what that sense of teamwork and completion felt like. I'll be honest though...it's kind of a bummer every time I change the MP3 tags to "**Formerly AHC".
Eh...it'll pass.
- Deathy
- Eh...Didn't Hate It
- Good "Singers"
- Good Heavy Voice
- Good Heavy/Sing
- Good/Bad
- GREAT Singing Voice (sadly, there have been only one of these)
- Greg Moog (if you're in the know, you'll see why this is kinda amusing)
- Heavy
- Hell No
- I Like This Guy A Lot
- I Like This Guy Too
- Industrial!
- Interesting
- Kinda Like This Guy
- Malleable?
- Nope
- Not Metal
- Probably Not
- Sing-y
- Sounds Interesting
- Wha???????
The good news is that we have locked onto one guy in particular. He's got 10 of the demos as of this writing, and the first thing he sent back was basically right on the money. He's also got an interesting pedigree, both musically and personally. And let me tell ya, after receiving golden turkey submissions like "The Badly Recorded And Even Worse Performance YouTube Karaoke Video Featuring 'Bodies' By Drowning Pool", I was starting to get sort of worried.
So, yeah, I'm pretty stoked. It's nice to give someone a song, and a few days later hear vocals on it. It's been so long, I almost forgot what that sense of teamwork and completion felt like. I'll be honest though...it's kind of a bummer every time I change the MP3 tags to "**Formerly AHC".
Eh...it'll pass.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Patience
A heads up regarding downloading "AHC" instrumental tracks for auditions; problems getting the site up. Should be soon.
MP3 (only) submissions should be attached to an email and sent to: NewVocalist2009@gmail.com. Please do not send Myspace links.
MP3 (only) submissions should be attached to an email and sent to: NewVocalist2009@gmail.com. Please do not send Myspace links.
Monday, August 24, 2009
I'm Flattered By The Response...
...but the instrumental "AHC" tracks are for SINGERS ONLY, no curiosity seekers. You must submit something to get something.
And now, off to teach the childrens.
And now, off to teach the childrens.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Time Flies
I knew it was kind of a long time, but didn't realize it had been 3 months. Hmmm...
The past couple months have been weird for me, as a band identified musician....realizing the band was probably over...just coming to terms with such a huge change...a major chapter in my creative life was wrapping up, so...uh, now what?
But, we soldier on...
I'm cutting this short. I just did a 90 minute interview over at AllKnowingForce.com, my brain is fried, and I'm all outta witticisms.
Ciao'
The past couple months have been weird for me, as a band identified musician....realizing the band was probably over...just coming to terms with such a huge change...a major chapter in my creative life was wrapping up, so...uh, now what?
But, we soldier on...
I'm cutting this short. I just did a 90 minute interview over at AllKnowingForce.com, my brain is fried, and I'm all outta witticisms.
Ciao'
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
My New Gun
My brand new Pietta historical reproduction of Josie Wale's Navy .36
caliber blackpowder revolver. Among many, many other reasons, this
gift shows the awesomeness of my lovely woman.
This thing uses blackpowder, a steel ball as the bullet (it does actually hold six shots), and primer charges to make the whole thing esplode. I can't wait to try this thing out. Additional style points: It looks great on my bookshelf, next to the Holy Bible and Mein Kampf.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Blabbering At An Unknown Fan
Just decided to answer a random question from a fan on AHC's Myspace page. I know, I know...Myspace is a ridiculous fucking site. Trust me, if I didn't have a band that wasn't doing anything and was just barely holding it together, I'd never let that piece of interweb bloatware near my neocortex. Ahem...
The Question:
"I'm guessing this is Chad I'm speaking at. I am excited about hearing some new Head Charge tracks, still blasting The War of Art every couple of days, actually listened to The Feeding today for the first time in a while. It's got to be hard to put a record together when all of you guys live apart and have other shit going on. I've been trying to put something together with a long time musician friend of mine for 4+ years and still have squat. Maybe one track that's finished out of maybe 15 scraps. Jobs, girlfriends, drugs, any excuse possible.
Are you tracking all of the demo shit in your house? Do you wait for everyone else to work on songs, or are you writing most of the stuff solo?
I've just been curious.
- Jeremiah (last name withheld)
The Answer:
Indeed. It is difficult with 2 guys in the band living 2000 miles away from the rest of us. It took a year alone to get our respective heads on straight after coming out of treatment (which was 2 years ago for me).
On my end, I've got almost 20 completed demo songs; and I mean complete. About 1/3 of them I did with Justin Fowler, and the other 2/3 I did myself. I was actually just about to finish up the guitars (which are the last things I record) on a brand new one before I let myself get sidetracked with this reply. The AHC demos are just waiting for vocals to be added to actually consider them "finished" demos. Cameron has been having kind of a tough time creatively since getting sober last year (I was a year ahead of him in getting clean), and it makes it harder that he and I are separated by such a huge physical gap. We got together this past September in L.A. for a week and got a song out of it, and he's coming back out here to Minneapolis soon to do some work at my house, which is great news.
I've also been increasingly disappointed with "metal" as a whole, and wouldn't really care if any of the bands we've ever toured with dropped into a gaping chasm. If I never toured with another 93X type metal band, I believe I'd be a better person for it. So while the music I'm recording is indeed heavy, it's not like anything I've been hearing on the radio necessarily. It's sometimes easy for me to fall into comfortable writing styles, and I'm challenging myself (and succeeding greatly, I might add) to not be a lazy fuckhead that writes a million interchangeable riffs in drop C#, ya know? [EDIT:] As a matter of fact, when I started recording these AHC demos a little over a year ago, I stopped tuning down a half-step and have recorded everything in standard tuning (E and B), save for one or two parts of songs that actually needed a drop-tuning. I think it actually affects your brain differently to hear things a half-step back up, after years of hearing things put together a half-step down...or I'm just a nutbag with too much time on my hands. Either or.
Anyway, you caught me in a rare chatty moment. Good luck with your music, sir. And don't do too many drugs, if at all. They can really, really slow your process down.
Chad Hanks/AHC
The Question:
"I'm guessing this is Chad I'm speaking at. I am excited about hearing some new Head Charge tracks, still blasting The War of Art every couple of days, actually listened to The Feeding today for the first time in a while. It's got to be hard to put a record together when all of you guys live apart and have other shit going on. I've been trying to put something together with a long time musician friend of mine for 4+ years and still have squat. Maybe one track that's finished out of maybe 15 scraps. Jobs, girlfriends, drugs, any excuse possible.
Are you tracking all of the demo shit in your house? Do you wait for everyone else to work on songs, or are you writing most of the stuff solo?
I've just been curious.
- Jeremiah (last name withheld)
The Answer:
Indeed. It is difficult with 2 guys in the band living 2000 miles away from the rest of us. It took a year alone to get our respective heads on straight after coming out of treatment (which was 2 years ago for me).
On my end, I've got almost 20 completed demo songs; and I mean complete. About 1/3 of them I did with Justin Fowler, and the other 2/3 I did myself. I was actually just about to finish up the guitars (which are the last things I record) on a brand new one before I let myself get sidetracked with this reply. The AHC demos are just waiting for vocals to be added to actually consider them "finished" demos. Cameron has been having kind of a tough time creatively since getting sober last year (I was a year ahead of him in getting clean), and it makes it harder that he and I are separated by such a huge physical gap. We got together this past September in L.A. for a week and got a song out of it, and he's coming back out here to Minneapolis soon to do some work at my house, which is great news.
I've also been increasingly disappointed with "metal" as a whole, and wouldn't really care if any of the bands we've ever toured with dropped into a gaping chasm. If I never toured with another 93X type metal band, I believe I'd be a better person for it. So while the music I'm recording is indeed heavy, it's not like anything I've been hearing on the radio necessarily. It's sometimes easy for me to fall into comfortable writing styles, and I'm challenging myself (and succeeding greatly, I might add) to not be a lazy fuckhead that writes a million interchangeable riffs in drop C#, ya know? [EDIT:] As a matter of fact, when I started recording these AHC demos a little over a year ago, I stopped tuning down a half-step and have recorded everything in standard tuning (E and B), save for one or two parts of songs that actually needed a drop-tuning. I think it actually affects your brain differently to hear things a half-step back up, after years of hearing things put together a half-step down...or I'm just a nutbag with too much time on my hands. Either or.
Anyway, you caught me in a rare chatty moment. Good luck with your music, sir. And don't do too many drugs, if at all. They can really, really slow your process down.
Chad Hanks/AHC
Thursday, April 9, 2009
My Process...
remember the line (and I'm paraphrasing somewhat) "You know what all
the great thinkers had in common? Comfortable footwear."
Friday, April 3, 2009
I Am Ashamed...
RETARDS on the cover of a magazine I've been in a few times. I don't
know if it's possible to be any more gay without the commitment to
sucking cock.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Hipped To A New Band
Thanks to my friend E for tossing this into my stream of information. Two drummers, heavy riffs, tuned LOW...Dig it. I especially enjoy tracks 1 and 4.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Isn't It Amazing?
like it's 1987...in Nebraska.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Monday, March 9, 2009
An Elvis Moment
Thursday, March 5, 2009
As Seen On TV!
(25 pound cat sold separately.)
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Currents (books)
Just Finished: Secret And Suppressed - Banned Ideas and Hidden History into the 21st Century.
In The Middle Of: Portraits And Observations (Truman Capote), Stuff White People Like (Christian Lander), and Drink Play Fuck (Andrew Gottlieb).
On Deck: World War Z (Max Brooks), Love All The People (Bill Hicks), Conspiracy (Charlotte Greig), and When Will Jesus Bring The Pork Chops? (George Carlin).
Go into the light until we meet again/That's what the Korinians said again and again/Knowledge is power!
In The Middle Of: Portraits And Observations (Truman Capote), Stuff White People Like (Christian Lander), and Drink Play Fuck (Andrew Gottlieb).
On Deck: World War Z (Max Brooks), Love All The People (Bill Hicks), Conspiracy (Charlotte Greig), and When Will Jesus Bring The Pork Chops? (George Carlin).
Go into the light until we meet again/That's what the Korinians said again and again/Knowledge is power!
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Currents (Music)
Downloaded/Listening To:
Les Claypool's Discography - (Blind Illusion, Primus, Sausage, Holy Mackerel, Bucket Of Bernie Brains, Oysterhead, Flying Frog Brigade, etc...) The names go on forever, which is weird because anything the guy puts his voice to makes me think of Primus regardless...so it was nice to find out he finally released a solo album under the simple title of "Les Claypool". I once was lucky enough to hang out and get stoned to the bejesus-belt with Les and Tom Araya (Slayer) in San Fransisco. I swear to fucking god all he did was talk about fishing. I was so starstruck (and stoned) all I could do was nod my head and listen. It was awesome.
The Police's first 4 albums - I teach at the Eden Prairie Minnesota School Of Rock, and there's a "Best Of Season" show coming up at the end of January where all of the teachers perform selections from the upcoming semester. I'm playing guitar on, among others, "Can't Stand Losing You" from their "Outlandos d'Amour" album. I always thought Andy Summers was an out-of-tune bastard and a pretty sloppy live player. Don't get me wrong...I've dug The Police since I was 10 or 11, but I definitely have a new ear for his playing. On the song I'm covering, he does this trick called "Harp Harmonics" that is a bitch to do properly. But I will prevail; or at the very least be in tune.
Patton Oswalt's "Werewolves and Lollipops" - On Kentucky Fried Chicken's Famous Bowl: "A failure pile in a sadness bowl." Do I really need to say anything else?
The Doors "Weird Scenes Inside The Goldmine" - I'm not usually one for compilations, but I have a hard time sitting through an entire record by The Doors. This one is perfect for me. (Little known fact: I was an extra in Oliver Stone's "The Doors" for the infamous 1969 Miami gig where Jim was arrested for purportedly exposing himself.)
Does It Offend You, Yeah? "You Have No Idea What You're Getting Into" - Well, I read this: "An obnoxious, dizzying, perfectly of-the-moment blend of Daft Punk, Justice and Rage Against the Machine." I'd add that they use gigantic, fat, distorted synths that sound like horny, 800 pound bumblebees. Always a selling point.
Les Claypool's Discography - (Blind Illusion, Primus, Sausage, Holy Mackerel, Bucket Of Bernie Brains, Oysterhead, Flying Frog Brigade, etc...) The names go on forever, which is weird because anything the guy puts his voice to makes me think of Primus regardless...so it was nice to find out he finally released a solo album under the simple title of "Les Claypool". I once was lucky enough to hang out and get stoned to the bejesus-belt with Les and Tom Araya (Slayer) in San Fransisco. I swear to fucking god all he did was talk about fishing. I was so starstruck (and stoned) all I could do was nod my head and listen. It was awesome.
The Police's first 4 albums - I teach at the Eden Prairie Minnesota School Of Rock, and there's a "Best Of Season" show coming up at the end of January where all of the teachers perform selections from the upcoming semester. I'm playing guitar on, among others, "Can't Stand Losing You" from their "Outlandos d'Amour" album. I always thought Andy Summers was an out-of-tune bastard and a pretty sloppy live player. Don't get me wrong...I've dug The Police since I was 10 or 11, but I definitely have a new ear for his playing. On the song I'm covering, he does this trick called "Harp Harmonics" that is a bitch to do properly. But I will prevail; or at the very least be in tune.
Patton Oswalt's "Werewolves and Lollipops" - On Kentucky Fried Chicken's Famous Bowl: "A failure pile in a sadness bowl." Do I really need to say anything else?
The Doors "Weird Scenes Inside The Goldmine" - I'm not usually one for compilations, but I have a hard time sitting through an entire record by The Doors. This one is perfect for me. (Little known fact: I was an extra in Oliver Stone's "The Doors" for the infamous 1969 Miami gig where Jim was arrested for purportedly exposing himself.)
Does It Offend You, Yeah? "You Have No Idea What You're Getting Into" - Well, I read this: "An obnoxious, dizzying, perfectly of-the-moment blend of Daft Punk, Justice and Rage Against the Machine." I'd add that they use gigantic, fat, distorted synths that sound like horny, 800 pound bumblebees. Always a selling point.
Friday, January 9, 2009
Friday, January 2, 2009
Engrish Fail
A friend of mine inadvertently turned me onto Failblog.org about a month ago, so when we were out shopping in L.A. a couple of weeks ago, I snapped this shot (which was rather difficult since the "FAIL" was flashing). I tossed my caption on it and submitted it, but haven't seen it posted on their site yet, so I thought I'd share it with ya'll...
Another solidly amusing site is Engrish.com. I urge you to check them both out.
Another solidly amusing site is Engrish.com. I urge you to check them both out.
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