For all of my readers interested in the Unsmokable Brokes, the album is progressing at a modest yet exciting rate.
This past weekend four drum tracks for the album were laid down. I am not talking about using a midi program to place-hold. With the assistance of a amazing drummer and friend, Josh, real recordings were put together that offer something no computer technology can match. The sound is raw and real. It is something that I think listeners will really enjoy when the album is finished.
I am working on getting some drum samples together so people can hear what it is like before they are mixed, but I can't make any promises. Everyone might have to wait until it is all packaged together. However, that goes against the transparency purpose of my blog, so I'm doing my best.
For now, just be reassured that progress is being made and all or any anticipation will pay off when it comes together.
07 December 2009
04 December 2009
Pittsburgh Electronic Musicians
Browsing the City Paper website, I came across an article about a University of Pittsburgh-based group of music enthusiasts known as Pittsburgh Electronic Musicians. The article isn't all that revealing of what the group is about, but apparently it's for individuals interested in recording and/or DJ-ing.
They also host free music events that feature mostly local musicians, from my understanding. The next one is tomorrow (today technically) at 10pm in the William Pitt Union. Check it out if you're feeling adventurous.
Thanks again to the City Paper for actually caring about what is going on here among local music enthusiasts.
They also host free music events that feature mostly local musicians, from my understanding. The next one is tomorrow (today technically) at 10pm in the William Pitt Union. Check it out if you're feeling adventurous.
Thanks again to the City Paper for actually caring about what is going on here among local music enthusiasts.
29 November 2009
The Club Cafe
The Club Cafe in the Southside hosts an open mic every Monday night for artists in the more folk/acoustic side of the rock genre. Last Monday, Mike went to check it out and reported some good musicians and songs to match. Unfortunately, I am unable to check it out myself because the venue is 21 and over.
The open mic is hosted by the group, Acousticafe, and from what I can tell, they are fairly active in Pittsburgh's music scene. Their website is worth checking out, and I hope to find out more about the group, because I have either met or seen live several of the artists involved with it. My understanding of Acousticafe is limited though so if anyone knows more, please help me out.
Tomorrow night, Mike is going down to the Club Cafe as a lone Broke in order to perform a few songs. From what I know about the venue thus far, I'm hoping it will be a good match for the Brokes type of music. Although they have the ability to play high-energy live shows, the single acoustic guitar sound works well for them, too...so it should be a good performance and something worth attending if you like the "bar/cafe with music" atmosphere.
The open mic is hosted by the group, Acousticafe, and from what I can tell, they are fairly active in Pittsburgh's music scene. Their website is worth checking out, and I hope to find out more about the group, because I have either met or seen live several of the artists involved with it. My understanding of Acousticafe is limited though so if anyone knows more, please help me out.
Tomorrow night, Mike is going down to the Club Cafe as a lone Broke in order to perform a few songs. From what I know about the venue thus far, I'm hoping it will be a good match for the Brokes type of music. Although they have the ability to play high-energy live shows, the single acoustic guitar sound works well for them, too...so it should be a good performance and something worth attending if you like the "bar/cafe with music" atmosphere.
25 November 2009
The Unsmokable Genre
There are a few blanket categories of genre that I suppose the Unsmokable Brokes could fit into: folk, indie, or blues, for example. I really don't have a problem with saying this about the band, or any band, because these terms are useful, specific enough (sometimes too specific), and a good place to start. I would have a problem stopping there, though.
Before I get into the specifics of the Brokes, let's talk about originality. Is it a compliment or an insult for someone to tell you that you sound like another band? Personally, I see it as a compliment. Music is art, and art does not exist in a vacuum. It is a constant and eternal conversation between contemplative and socially conscious minds.
When someone listens to the Brokes' "I Can Find You Anywhere" and says it sounds a little Dylanesque, it doesn't matter if I think Dylan is good or bad, a genius or a hack. He had a lot to say about music and the world, and so do the Brokes. If one of their songs sounds like one of his songs, chances are it was on purpose. Through similarities, they are saying, "Hey Dylan, I liked (or hated) the way you talked about this thing...but did you think about this other thing?" And thus the conversation continues.
(Of course, there are rip-offs and copycat artists, but that is a discussion of its own. For now, I think it is best if everyone makes their own decisions regarding authenticity.)
Just to give everyone a little perspective, I will list a few popular artists/bands that influence the Brokes music in a conscious way:
Lyrically heavy, complex yet melodic, socially conscious compositions are the result. You won't mistake their vocalist for an opera singer, but he writes the songs and knows just how to sing them. Passion and emotion bleed from the words as they leave his mouth. The guitar won't be something that just plays a role in the song. It is going to make you think and make you learn. All you have to do is listen.
I take music pretty seriously, but I don't want it to seem like it is all serious. When I'm in my car and my life sucks, I blast the Brokes to make me feel better just like I blast Bob Marley or the Ramones. They can rock out at a show, and the people dance around not because thematic diversity really tugged at a heart string, but because of a sick bass line or a mellow groove.
Their songs are versatile, and therefore their genre is complex to pin down. Fortunately, you can just listen to a couple of songs to figure out what they sound like.
Before I get into the specifics of the Brokes, let's talk about originality. Is it a compliment or an insult for someone to tell you that you sound like another band? Personally, I see it as a compliment. Music is art, and art does not exist in a vacuum. It is a constant and eternal conversation between contemplative and socially conscious minds.
When someone listens to the Brokes' "I Can Find You Anywhere" and says it sounds a little Dylanesque, it doesn't matter if I think Dylan is good or bad, a genius or a hack. He had a lot to say about music and the world, and so do the Brokes. If one of their songs sounds like one of his songs, chances are it was on purpose. Through similarities, they are saying, "Hey Dylan, I liked (or hated) the way you talked about this thing...but did you think about this other thing?" And thus the conversation continues.
(Of course, there are rip-offs and copycat artists, but that is a discussion of its own. For now, I think it is best if everyone makes their own decisions regarding authenticity.)
Just to give everyone a little perspective, I will list a few popular artists/bands that influence the Brokes music in a conscious way:
Bob Dylan, Neil Young, The Doors, the Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, The Pixies, The Violent Femmes, The Velvet Underground, REM, Nirvana, Pavement, Wilco, Guided by Voices, The Stone Roses, Neutral Milk Hotel, Blur, The Kinks, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, The Smashing Pumpkins, and The White Stripes. (There are many, many more, but I don't want the references to get too obscure)Part of the reason why these bands are valued though, is because of their variety. The above list contains so much variety and talent. Combined, it is hard to fathom what it would sound like. Myself and the Brokes value these bands ability to look to past traditions in music and implement them while developing new ones. This is the influence genre has on their music.
Lyrically heavy, complex yet melodic, socially conscious compositions are the result. You won't mistake their vocalist for an opera singer, but he writes the songs and knows just how to sing them. Passion and emotion bleed from the words as they leave his mouth. The guitar won't be something that just plays a role in the song. It is going to make you think and make you learn. All you have to do is listen.
I take music pretty seriously, but I don't want it to seem like it is all serious. When I'm in my car and my life sucks, I blast the Brokes to make me feel better just like I blast Bob Marley or the Ramones. They can rock out at a show, and the people dance around not because thematic diversity really tugged at a heart string, but because of a sick bass line or a mellow groove.
Their songs are versatile, and therefore their genre is complex to pin down. Fortunately, you can just listen to a couple of songs to figure out what they sound like.
20 November 2009
The Birth of a Song
I am not dodging the 'The Unsmokable Brokes' genre question, but I thought it might be good to preface it by explaining how a song is written, and therefore, trace the origins of their sound. I must also note that I will generalize this process, from my perspective, so it will not be applicable to every song. However, I have witnessed the birth of many the Brokes songs and followed them throughout their development, and I have followed their continuing development. And the process generally is something like this...
A song begins, after an 8-hour work day, in a basement, with an acoustic guitar. Mike opens his notebook filled with worn pages bound by cheap glue, and his spontaneous or recycled reflections from the day to day routine. Words upon words upon words are meticulously spliced together and rearranged, invented when necessary, in the hope of achieving something harmonious.
Chord patterns are then summoned, to give his hands something to do while he thinks. Some come from Will. These are rhythmic transitions from C#m to Asus2 to Bsus2 or G or anything else that fits the key--guitar voices that he stumbled upon some late night in his apartment during a solitary conversation with his Fender Jazzmaster. Other chord patterns come from Mike, himself. These patterns are born out of necessity. They need to exist. Moments, days or even months after their creation, he finds that maybe they were not created in vain. Maybe, there is something beautiful in their existence.
When words are added to chords, the life of the song begins. Mike and Will, together, add layers of intricate guitar riffs, vocal melodies, lines of bass and any other appropriate elements that will make this life one worth living.
The result is a combination of lush layers of sound, lucid lyrical poetry and a child-like appeal that is not far removed from the soothing melody of lullabies. Their songs are intelligent, complex and artistic, yet they do not lose their ability to be sung in the shower or whistled while washing the dishes.
Personally, I have likened their sound, the result of their songs in tandem, to a choir of barking angels. This may be something no one has ever heard, but the words alone create such stirring imagery. The difference is that the Brokes' songs can be heard, and therefore the images are all the more stirring.
A song begins, after an 8-hour work day, in a basement, with an acoustic guitar. Mike opens his notebook filled with worn pages bound by cheap glue, and his spontaneous or recycled reflections from the day to day routine. Words upon words upon words are meticulously spliced together and rearranged, invented when necessary, in the hope of achieving something harmonious.
Chord patterns are then summoned, to give his hands something to do while he thinks. Some come from Will. These are rhythmic transitions from C#m to Asus2 to Bsus2 or G or anything else that fits the key--guitar voices that he stumbled upon some late night in his apartment during a solitary conversation with his Fender Jazzmaster. Other chord patterns come from Mike, himself. These patterns are born out of necessity. They need to exist. Moments, days or even months after their creation, he finds that maybe they were not created in vain. Maybe, there is something beautiful in their existence.
When words are added to chords, the life of the song begins. Mike and Will, together, add layers of intricate guitar riffs, vocal melodies, lines of bass and any other appropriate elements that will make this life one worth living.
The result is a combination of lush layers of sound, lucid lyrical poetry and a child-like appeal that is not far removed from the soothing melody of lullabies. Their songs are intelligent, complex and artistic, yet they do not lose their ability to be sung in the shower or whistled while washing the dishes.
Personally, I have likened their sound, the result of their songs in tandem, to a choir of barking angels. This may be something no one has ever heard, but the words alone create such stirring imagery. The difference is that the Brokes' songs can be heard, and therefore the images are all the more stirring.
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