HUMAN JUKE BOX
I'll be a human juke box this weekend. Hopefully.
I've got three musical projects going -- all involving my brother, of course.
First off is a rehearsal with Mad Jack, our 31-year-old guitar-based quartet. It'll be great to see Karch and Fro again. Nephew, on spring break from the School of Visual Arts, will be on hand. Mad Jack is basically going to rehearse the 90-minute show we did in November with one hoped-for switch; Brinie may sing "Fortunate Son" instead of "Sunshine of Your Love." We'll try it on for size tomorrow -- if the song doesn't click right out of the box, we'll have to re-examine the idea.
Next, Brinie and Nephew will record me playing cues I've written for possible use in Nephew's student films. You see, Nephew has entered his student films in a couple of contests, and one bugaboo keeps popping up: Most contests require that the entrant "own" the music used in his or her film. One of Nephew's gifts is his uncanny knack for matching up his visuals with appropriate music. So I've written a bunch of cues that he could use in the future, if he sees fit. (If he never uses them, it's no biggie; I want to do this.) Brinie will record them with just me on guitar (no overdubs, no vocals). Some are pieces I've written specifically for Nephew's films, others are excerpts from existing songs. The titles of the cues are (hopefully) evocative of the mood they intend to create: "Panic Sets In," "Run and Hide," "Echoes," "Driving Stoned in Rain," "Altar/Stage," "Up From the Bottom," "Sweet Memory," "Siempre."
After that, Brinie will record me singing and playing guitar on a thing I've whipped up for a planned October gig titled "The Scream Medley"-- excerpts of 12 original songs by my old high-school rock band, Scream. We were glitter-rock nerds obsessed with David Bowie, Roxy Music, Sparks, T-Rex, the Sensational Alex Harvey Band, Mott the Hoople, Kevin Ayers, John Cale, Nico, Eno, the Velvet Underground, Kiss and, believe it or not, '50s rock 'n' roll. One of the Screamers lives in California and says he may visit New Jersey in October. Well, that's all me 'n Brinie needed to hear; we've been in scheme mode ever since. So we're planning a Scream reunion gig -- not that there's the SLIGHTEST demand for such an event. Some of the song titles in the medley: "The Crimson Cult," "The Funeral March," "I Walked With a Humanoid," "Mastermind," "Something in This Room," "Jack the Ripper."
Anway, I've been practicing up a storm. I've even re-strung my guitar (Karch will be proud). My finger callouses are like rock. I have the dexterity of a tarantula. But I'm probably trying to jam too much work into a short period. I can be sloppy on "The Scream Medley" -- it's just a "dirty" version for the other guys to learn on -- but I've got to NAIL it on each of the film cues. So here's hoping for a little magic.
I've got three musical projects going -- all involving my brother, of course.
First off is a rehearsal with Mad Jack, our 31-year-old guitar-based quartet. It'll be great to see Karch and Fro again. Nephew, on spring break from the School of Visual Arts, will be on hand. Mad Jack is basically going to rehearse the 90-minute show we did in November with one hoped-for switch; Brinie may sing "Fortunate Son" instead of "Sunshine of Your Love." We'll try it on for size tomorrow -- if the song doesn't click right out of the box, we'll have to re-examine the idea.
Next, Brinie and Nephew will record me playing cues I've written for possible use in Nephew's student films. You see, Nephew has entered his student films in a couple of contests, and one bugaboo keeps popping up: Most contests require that the entrant "own" the music used in his or her film. One of Nephew's gifts is his uncanny knack for matching up his visuals with appropriate music. So I've written a bunch of cues that he could use in the future, if he sees fit. (If he never uses them, it's no biggie; I want to do this.) Brinie will record them with just me on guitar (no overdubs, no vocals). Some are pieces I've written specifically for Nephew's films, others are excerpts from existing songs. The titles of the cues are (hopefully) evocative of the mood they intend to create: "Panic Sets In," "Run and Hide," "Echoes," "Driving Stoned in Rain," "Altar/Stage," "Up From the Bottom," "Sweet Memory," "Siempre."
After that, Brinie will record me singing and playing guitar on a thing I've whipped up for a planned October gig titled "The Scream Medley"-- excerpts of 12 original songs by my old high-school rock band, Scream. We were glitter-rock nerds obsessed with David Bowie, Roxy Music, Sparks, T-Rex, the Sensational Alex Harvey Band, Mott the Hoople, Kevin Ayers, John Cale, Nico, Eno, the Velvet Underground, Kiss and, believe it or not, '50s rock 'n' roll. One of the Screamers lives in California and says he may visit New Jersey in October. Well, that's all me 'n Brinie needed to hear; we've been in scheme mode ever since. So we're planning a Scream reunion gig -- not that there's the SLIGHTEST demand for such an event. Some of the song titles in the medley: "The Crimson Cult," "The Funeral March," "I Walked With a Humanoid," "Mastermind," "Something in This Room," "Jack the Ripper."
Anway, I've been practicing up a storm. I've even re-strung my guitar (Karch will be proud). My finger callouses are like rock. I have the dexterity of a tarantula. But I'm probably trying to jam too much work into a short period. I can be sloppy on "The Scream Medley" -- it's just a "dirty" version for the other guys to learn on -- but I've got to NAIL it on each of the film cues. So here's hoping for a little magic.
posted by Mark Voger at 7:55 PM
2 Comments:
ooooooooooooo I wanna see Scream - are you doing a gig - like in a club or just recording? I wanna see Scream and wear my glitter platorms - unless you want to borrow them yourself? That kinda music sounds right up my alley. I love that shit.
You such a rocker, Voger.
The plan is to play some joint in South Jersey in October. The medley we recorded over the weekend came out great. Brinie double-tracked my vocals and guitar, and then added spacey keyboards. The guys are gonna wig when they hear it.
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