Signal To Noise

Modern Hymnal Records Releases Free Digital Single by The Brixton Riot

2012-01-23T06:33:00.000-08:00

The following press release is from our record label, Modern Hymnal Recordings...

Modern Hymnal Recordings is happy to release a free advanced download of two songs from the forthcoming Brixton Riot LP Palace Amusements.

DOWNLOAD - Signal To Noise
DOWNLOAD - Hipster Turns 30

Since the release of Sudden Fiction, The Brixton Riot has been steadily building an audience in the Northeast US through their high-energy shows. In 2011, they stepped back into the studio with Dave Harman at Arcade Audio and self-produced their debut full-length, Palace Amusements. The record was recored both at Arcade Audio and in their home studio. To put on the finishing touches, the band brought in well known engineer Frank Marchand (The Thermals, Bob Mould, Calexico) to mix the record, and the result is absolutely stellar.

With it’s roots in well known American acts like The Lemonheads, Pavement and Big Star, Palace Amusements really shines in its similarity to the crafty pop sensibilities of the late 80’s/early 90’s Australian power-pop scene. The vintage tonality and punk-like immediacy of tracks like “Signal to Noise” really bring to mind underground bands like The Sameloves or The Chevelles.

The Brixton Riot has a keen ear for the modern plight of underground pop in the United States. Songs like "Cover's Been Blown" ("it's an easy road home / to the commuter crawl") and "Losing Streak" ("every streak will one day reach an end") explore the push-pull psychology of playing in a rock band on the wrong side of 30. They also don't mind taking a playful jab at the fashionistas of neighboring hot spots ("Hipster can't hang with the rest of the kids / 10 years too late for a scene that fits...") on "Hipster Turns 30” or some of their "too cool for school" peers on "Canvas Shoes" ("it looks so real / I bet you're fooling them now / another street punk from a suburban town").

In a state known for celebrating scrappy working class underdogs and shallow ego trips, the Brixton Riot embraces the juxtaposition and gives it a rock and roll soundtrack.

A Bit Of Trivia, Dining Tips and Our Album Cover...

2012-01-16T08:07:00.000-08:00

Did you know that today is the "most depressing day of the year"?

We didn't. At least not until this morning.

Apparently, it's known as "Blue Monday" (not to be confused with this far better Blue Monday)

So considering this little bit of useless trivia, it's even sweeter for us to write this post. Because we have the great pleasure to report the following news items...

ITEM #1

Palace Amusements is DONE. Not mostly done, almost done or nearly done. Not done except for mixing or tweaks. Not done all but mastering. It's done as in you have read the last of our "it's on the way, we're nearly there, we're not just sitting on our asses" posts. It's stick a fork in it, signed, sealed and delivered done.

You're probably saying "well, if it's REALLY done where's the artwork?". Oh, ye of little faith.

ITEM #2

And there it is. This is Matt's fine brush work and we're all thrilled with it. Getting four guys to agree on a cover is a lot harder than it sounds. And we'd be remiss if we didn't thank Chris Gash for his hard work on helping us with design ideas.

ITEM #3

Palace Amusements will be released by the fine people at the New York based Modern Hymnal record label on March 6th, 2012. You'll be able to get it from their website, our website, ITunes and Bandcamp. You will also be able to get it at one of our shows, which we will be resuming in March. We are currently in the process of putting together a number of dates to support the release and we'll be posting them shortly. If you had a particular venue you would like to see us in, we'd love to know what it is so drop us a line.

Here's the final track listing for Palace Amusements

Signal To Noise
Hard To See The Sun
Canvas Shoes
Our Cover's Been Blown
Pinwheel
Hipster Turns 30
Carmelita
Ocean Avenue
Strange Matter
Keep It Like A Secret
It's Been Too Long
Losing Streak

If you haven't seen it already, here's a promo video for the first track, "Signal To Noise"

ITEM #4

It's too damn cold out, so I'm getting Vietnamese Pho for lunch. If you haven't tried it, you really should. It's hard to beat on a 23 degree day.

Stay Warm, kids!

TBR

A Brief TBR Update

2011-10-11T09:17:00.000-07:00

Since it's been about a month since we last checked in, we wanted to drop you a line about what's happening with the record, the fall dates and us in general.

When we last checked in, we were in the mixing phase. And now…we’re basically still in the mixing phase. We're eagerly awaiting the next batch of tracks as we speak, and we're sure they will sound great - but since it's already October 11th, it's safe to say that Palace Amusements most definitely is not coming out on November 15th. I’m sure I owe someone a drink for that one (I’m looking at you, Steve). And since it won't be ready by the 15th, playing a fall tour to support it doesn't make much sense. We will likely still pop in for a few dates before the holidays, but we're going to hold off on some of our bigger plans until we've got the record in hand.

That's not to say that we haven't been busy. Bryan Sargent came by our last rehearsal and took some great photos. Some of them have popped up on our Facebook page already, some of them will be added soon and some of them will never see the light of day to protect our already questionable reputations.

Meanwhile, Matt and his old group My Favorite Citizen will be performing a reunion show at Maxwell's on December 28th, which I'm really looking forward to. Standing in front of him, I never get to see him play, and I’ve always wondered how he keeps that Yankee hat centered perfectly on his head.

And finally, we're very happy to congratulate Mark on his recent engagement to Erin, who he met at one of our Maxwell's shows a few years back. I apologize for not remembering the date, but it's not like I met MY wife that night. I don't remember much about that particular show, but I do remember Erin heckling us from the audience about the Yankees. Ah, amore!

Until next time, keep it real peeps.

Cheers,
TBR

It's Quiet (For Now)

2011-09-07T07:09:00.001-07:00

The cables have been winded. The mics have been put away. It's all gone quiet here, and it feels really strange.

It's been a few weeks since we first mentioned it, but in case you missed the news, we wrapped up the recording of Palace Amusements on August 26th. This milestone was reached the same week that a hurricane and earthquake hit New Jersey. We're not saying these events are related, but nobody REALLY knows for sure, do they?

Our songs are now in the very capable hands of Frank Marchand. Frank was the man behind the board for the last three Bob Mould records and he also remastered one of our all-time favorite 90's records, Sugar's Copper Blue. We're all very excited to have him working on Palace Amusements, though none more then Matt who got to talk to Bob Mould about working with Frank (or as Matt now likes to call him "my very good friend Bob Mould").

Palace Amusements will be released November 15th on the New York based Modern Hymnal Records. It was originally scheduled to come out on the Baltimore based Beechfields record label. We were very sorry to see The Beechfields close down over thr summer - we enjoyed our brief tenure in their strong stable of artists and have enjoyed playing with some of our label mates (like The Seldon Plan, Among Wolves, Gary B & The Notions, E. Joseph & The Phantom Heart to name a few), though we will certainly play with these fine bands again. Fortunately, Modern Hymnal stepped in and will give Palace Amusements a proper release.

Palace Amusements will be available on compact disc and digitally via iTunes as well as some other digital media outlets. The artwork duties are being handled by our very good frend Chris Gash. The final sequence of the album hasn't been decided yet, but here is the track listing:

Signal To Noise
Strange Matter
Keep It Like A Secret
Our Cover's Been Blown
Pinwheel
Canvas Shoes
Hipster Turns 30
Carmelita
Ocean Avenue
Hard To See The Sun
It's Been Too Long
Losing Streak

If you'd like a preview of one of the tracks, we posted our own rough mix of Hipster Turns 30 back in July. It's up on our SoundCloud page.

We're currently lining up a series of dates to support the release, so look for those on our Facebook page and website soon.

Finally, a big thank you to everyone who has been asking about and looking forward to hearing our record. We cannot express how much we appreciate your support and we hope you enjoy our record. Thanks for sticking around.

Cheers,
Jerry, Matt, Mark and Steve
The Brixton Riot

Hipster Turns 30

2011-07-22T12:40:00.000-07:00

Here's a rough mix of the song "Hipster Turns 30" from our forthcoming Palace Amusements. It's a playful jab at a fictitious uber-trendy character who goes through a sort of "quarter life crisis" when he wakes up on his 30th birthday. Some of the lyrics are exaggerated for comedic effect (can you even buy books on tape anymore?), but you get the idea.

What I always liked about this song is that the bridge is taken from the point of view of the main character who longs for a time when he was younger and "the days would always seem so long". I remember sitting in middle school and watching the clock tick. The hours just seemed to drag on and on. Now they just fly by. You blink and another year has passed.

Hipster Turns 30 (Rough Mix 2) by The Brixton Riot

This is DIY

2011-07-07T07:01:00.000-07:00

After posting about our low budget recording setup, I took some quick photos around our "studio". Polaroid effect added for...um, effect.

This is our DIY vocal booth. It's basically two microphone stands in a "V" with a blanket and Lightning McQueen sleeping bag draped over them. We stand in the center of the V when we track vocals. The wall directly behind this setup is covered with a large blue comforter, held up by painters tape. Vocal cheat sheet visible on the left. It gets a little tight in there and since the air conditioning vent rattles, it has to be closed when we track.

One advantage of recording at home is that I get to hoard all of the amps. Not just mine, but all the amps owned by the other band members. I'd like to be on Hoarders one day, surrounded by nothing but amplifiers and guitars. My wife has the same recurring dream, only she wakes up screaming.

More amp and geetar porn.

Finally, here's our computer and the ridiculously small screen. Note the size ratio of said screen with the studio monitors.

Baby (Elephant) Steps

2011-07-05T13:35:00.000-07:00

It's been a ridiculously long time since this we've given any type of update, so I thought I'd check in and give an accounting of how we've spent the last 9 months.

As we had previously mentioned, all non-album related band activities came to a halt while we finished up Palace Amusements. I'm sorry to say that this meant passing on some wonderful show offers and that always sucks. We made two exceptions for our January 2011 shows with The Seldon Plan as part of their farewell (or hopefully just "see you later") tour. It's weird looking back at the first half of the calendar for 2011 and seeing only two dates. It's our least productive year by far (performance wise, anyway). But the good news is that all of that self-imposed solitude actually worked. We've finished the overdubs and we're halfway through the vocal tracking and a third of the way through mixing. The mixing is being handled by Frank Marchand who has worked on the last few Bob Mould records as well as The Seldon Plan's The Collective Now. The artwork for Palace Amusements is being handled by our good friend, Mr. Chris Gash. Unfortunately, my idea to feature a baby elephant on the cover (partially as a reference to their gestational period and partially as a reference to this album cover) was overruled. We're very excited to have Chris and Frank (and their amazing talents) on our record. On our end of the record needs to wrap by the end of July and it will wrap on time. I say that with certainty because a) we have no other option and b) we are all ready for this thing to come out. Very ready.

We're looking at an early November release date on The Beechfields record label which means that when all is said and done, Palace Amusements will have taken us a ghastly two years to finish. I could write volumes as to why this happened and what we would have done differently, but I won't bore you with these things. There isn't one right or wrong way to make a record, but we definitely discovered one of the wrong ways. In contrast, we knocked out Sudden Fiction in two weekends, but that isn't exactly the right way to go about it either. In the end, most of this comes down to money or a lack of it. All we really want to do is make records and if that means tracking in the spare bedroom and using your son's Lightning McQueen sleeping bag as a vocal booth, then so be it.

Now that we are on the back nine, we are resuming our normal band activities. We had all four members together in a rehearsal room last Tuesday for the first time in six months, which felt kind of like the first day of school. With Chinese food. We're also booking shows again starting with two dates with those fine chaps The Anderson Council (7/29 at Crossroads and 8/26 at Asbury Lanes) and we've got some things in the works for September and beyond but I'm probably getting (way) ahead of myself again.

So that's the update for now, but we'll be around a lot more often.

And I'm back to the makeshift sleeping bag vocal booth.

- Jerry

A Year Ain't Enough

2010-11-17T11:19:00.000-08:00

A year is a long time. A lot gets crammed into those 365 days.

But for us, it turns out that a year is not enough.

A brief pass through the blog posts shows that right around 12 months ago, we we're getting excited about tracking our first record at Arcade Audio. With the tracking behind us, it sure felt like we were "almost done", or at the very least, pretty close. Oh, how wrong we were. And now that we're getting close for this dubious "anniversary", it's hard not to feel at least a little...I'm not sure what the word is - lazy? Guilty? Perhaps a bit of each.

I originally intended not to update this blog until the overdubs were finished. They're not done, but we are close - of the 15 original songs, 10 are in the books and three are in progress. Getting to this point has taken a lot more work then I expected. We have been fairly active tracking at my house for the last four months. My three-year old asks "Is Mark coming over?" on a nightly basis now. I think he has enjoyed this process more than we have, probably because our "studio" is one corner and one wall in his playroom (allowing for rousing games of Don't Break The Ice between takes).

Tracking usually takes place after work on weekdays, between the hours of 7 PM and midnight. Some nights, we start a little later and go until around 1 AM. Then it's back to work the next morning until the whole cycle starts over again. Getting motivated after working all day is difficult. There are a lot of distractions, including the always popular options of sleep or even just crashing on the couch. Fortunately, we've had some help - thank you to the New York Yankees for their rapid postseason exit and Cablevision for blocking Fox 5 during the World Series. You kept me focused, and I'll keep checking my mailbox for those refund checks.

I've gotten to the point where I'm no longer making predictions on "when" it will be done, at least not in the form of firm calendar time. The short answer is soon - later then Christmas, but earlier than spring training...oh please, let it be earlier then spring training.

We've started making preparations for our first shows of 2011, including two very optimistic dates in January. We're playing back-to-back shows in Baltimore and Hoboken with the Seldon Plan (MINI TOUR!!!). We'll be posting more about these dates in the next few weeks in all of the usual places.

For those of you who are have been asking about where we are at with the record, thanks for your patience. We think you're going to like it.

- Jerry

It's Not Political, Just Genetics

2010-08-25T06:23:00.001-07:00

Every once in a while, we get a nice little surprise. Like flipping through the pages of Q Magazine and finding this (thanks for the heads-up, John)...

Thank you for the kind words, Mr. Niven.

We now return to our self-imposed exile in the studio. We are slowly inching our way towards the finish line...

Regards,
TBR

I Love The Smell of Amplifiers In The Morning

2010-08-08T04:54:00.001-07:00

Getting setup over hear at SilverBEAT (a.k.a. my house...I borrowed the name from The Bats record) to track some guitars. It's an interesting setup with no microphones - the guitar amps are patched directly into the board, along with a clean signal direct from the guitar (no pedals, no amp). This allows us to mic a guitar amp up after we capture the performance. It also means Mark and I can sit in the room with the monitors blaring and crank the amps, without having to worry about microphones picking up our conversation - making it feel much more like a live recording with the band then overdubbing parts.

My new neighbors are moving in today. Welcome to the neighborhood.

Jerry

UPDATE: We did alright today - finished Mark's guitar parts on "Canvas Shoes", "Signal To Noise" and "Carmelita", which was a bit tricky. Not a bad day's work.

Another Fine Mess (1994-1998) Vols. 1 & 2

2010-07-06T20:17:00.000-07:00

After going to see the Feelies this past weekend and running into an old friend from college, I started feeling nostalgic about my old college radio show. Another Fine Mess aired on 91.7 WLFR from 1994 to 1998 on various days and timeslots. This was way before the Internet was a viable music research tool (or even the file swapping heyday of Napster), so most of these songs were discovered by combing through WLFR's CD and vinyl catalog and previewing tracks (and also through the help of some knowledgable DJs who helped steer me in the right direction). Some of these songs are still among my favorites, others I haven't heard much since the mid-90's.

I tried to keep this as "true to form" as possible; I not only picked the artists and albums that I specifically played on the show, but also the tracks that were featured most often - even if there are tracks on these records that I now prefer more. I was also careful not to "revise" the lists - I liked Pulp and The Stone Roses, but didn't discover them until after college, so they aren't on either list.

Jerry

Dog Days Of Summer

2010-06-14T12:24:00.000-07:00

Hello again, StN readers. Memorial Day is on last month's calendar, we've already broken 90 degrees a handful of times and the Garden State's beaches are clogged with the cosmetically inflated and pharmacutically enhanced. It is summer in New Jersey once again.

It's been a month since we last checked in from TRUCK America. We've continued work on our debut LP, which is taking about as long as painting a house with a toothbrush. Recording at home has it's share of pros and cons and all that "free studio time" that once felt like a luxury is starting to hurt more then help. There's something to be said for working on the clock and the urgency it brings. Not to say we haven't made progress. Things are moving forward, but sometimes you need someone to crack the whip to keep you honest. Of course, what better way to keep it honest than to put it in writing. Our goal is to complete all tracking (minus vocals) by our next show on July 9th, which is probably more optimistic than likely at this point.

The working title for the record is Palace Amusements, a reference to the now defunct amusement park and Jersey Shore landmark. Despite the name, the record is not about Asbury Park but that (in)famous town comes up a few times. We've recorded 15 originals (going all the way back to our start in 2007 and stretching to our most recent songs) as well as a cover of The Mighty Lemon Drop's "Inside Out". 15 is a lot for a record, so that list will probably shake out to 10-12 tracks on the final cut.

One final note about the record, and it's a bit of good news/bad news. The good: Palace Amusements will be released on the Baltimore based Beechfields label (a formal announcement will come in the next month). We are very excited to be working with such talented and dedicated individuals and we're looking forward to playing more shows together. The bad: this marks the end of the line for Tabbycat Records. It was a lot of fun, but it simply became too expensive and took too much time to do things "the right way". The point of the label was to release our music and after a while it started getting in the way of that goal. I don't think this will be our last venture releasing our own records, but for now this chapter is over.

// LIVE SHOWS //

We've got two shows on the calendar for July and possibly a third one in the works.

On Friday, July 9th we return to our favorite spot south of the Driscoll bridge, the one and only Asbury Lanes. This time around we are the gracious guests as the fine lads from Mod Fun host their fourth MODSBURY PARK concert series. The theme is "Mods vs. Rockers" - that makes us the rockers, but we're not complaining. We are really excited to play with Mod Fun again. We shared a bill at The Loop Lounge a couple of years back and they were great. Also on the bill are Dr Void & The Deathmatchines, bringing their awesome rockabilly via punk tones. It's a Friday night, so don't be such a square, Daddy-O....

Friday, July 9th - 10 PM
THE BRIXTON RIOT / MOD FUN / DR VOID & THE DEATHMACHINES

ASBURY LANES
4th & Kingsley
Asbury Park, NJ
07712

* DJ Bill Luther all nite between sets
* Guest dub/ska DJ set by Mick Hale
* 18+ up event (all ages can enter for bowling, if *with* a parent/guardian)
* GIVEAWAYS courtesy VESPA Bkly'n & B-Unique Clothing (AP)
* MP4 presented by Making Tyme/Kool-Aid-Kid Music
* sponsored by Weekend MIX-Up! http://www.modfun.com/WMU

Our second July show is a rare mid-week performance and an even rarer outdoor show (only our second or third). But the real change here is the venue. On Tuesday, July 13th, we will be performing at Great Adventure in Jackson, NJ. This show is part of 90.5 The Night's Live and Local series hosted by The Night's own Jeff Raspe. Joining us will be our good friend Jon Caspi and the Jon Caspi Band. This one is an all ages show with a 6 PM start, and tickets are covered as part of the park admission.

Great Adventure can get pricey, so here are some ways to keep the admission price down:

If you want to come all day and ride some coasters with us, discounted tickets are available online at https://shopsixflags.accesso.com/clients/sixflags/affiliate/index.php?m=13302

USERNAME: livega
PASSWORD: SixFlags1

Username and Password are Case Sensitive
These tickets also include a free Wild Safari Ticket

If you can't make it out for the whole day but would still like to see the show (and maybe ride some coasters), tickets are only $19.99 plus tax after 5:00pm on Tuesdays.

Not bad for a day at Great Adventure. Bring the kids if you are so inclined (we'll keep the stage banter clean); being able to bring our own kids was a huge part of why we took this show in the first place.

90.5 THE NIGHT'S LIVE & LOCAL PRESENTS

THE BRIXTON RIOT / JON CASPI BAND

GREAT ADVENTURE
1 Six Flags Boulevard
Jackson, NJ

Tuesday, July 13th - 5:30 PM

Long post. That's all I've got. See you next time.

- Jerry

No Flash Photography, Please : A Day At TRUCK America

2010-05-06T11:58:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, we performed at the first ever Truck America festival and I wanted to blog about it before the details get any hazier. A bit of back story seems appropriate, so here goes. Truck is an annual UK music festival that draws thousands of people each year to hear a collection of well-chosen bands over three days. The operations are handled by the brothers Bennett (Joe and Robin) and Joe's wife Claire. In three years performing live with The Brixton Riot at both live shows and music festivals, I have never dealt with a more friendly, courteous or organized group of people. They are the epitome of English grace and charm. From the day we were selected until the evening we left Big Indian, everything ran like clockwork.

Being within driving distance of New York, Hoboken, Philadelphia and Baltimore has allowed me to play a lot of shows without really taking a road trip, so this was a first for me. But not Matt - he got his wings schleping across the country in a short bus with The Love Scene. And as a result of his many mis-adventures, Matt has to be the most prepared musician I have ever met. His "survival pack" had everything imaginable - snacks, drinks, extra t-shirt, etc...but when I smelled the aroma of a disinfectant wipe coming from my passenger seat, I had no words. Baby wipes. Oh, so rock and roll.

It was a great day for a road trip, and the time passed by quickly. In fact, we were having such a good time, we overshot our exit. By 30 miles. It was then that we learned a valuable lesson about I-87 - you can't turn around (a fact that was reenforced at 1:30 AM when we attempted to retrieve Matt's car from the Sloatsburg reststop, requiring an extra 30 miles North just to head back South). For all the mockery that is heaped on New Jersey for our "jug handles", they serve a valuable purpose. After an aditional 20 minutes wasted looking for some way to get back on track, we settled for an illegal U-Turn.

Photo credit: Nyctaper.com

We finally arrived at the Full Moon resort around 4:30 PM and unloaded into the Roadhouse. The Roadhouse is a large, long and narrow room with a vaulted wood ceiling and wood paneled walls. It has a great live sound. Once again, the Full Moon staff and Truck people were friendly, informative and helpful. I was a little surprised by their no alchohol policy and the impromptu "beer search" that took place when we arrived. Our friends in Monogold had some of their stash confiscated, which prompted me to joke that I'm sure they could buy it all back at the bar, one can at a time.

After settling in, we walked around the grounds a bit. Full Moon is a beautiful place, with lots of open space, winding creeks and streams and lots of trees. The peaceful surroundings no doubt contributed to the friendly and laid back vibe - musicians, event staff and festival attendees all intermingled with each other, making it hard to tell the performers from the guests. Another thing that I noticed (and loved) about TRUCK - the musicians supported each other, sticking around to hear each other's set - a courtesy not often practiced in New York. I didn't get my chance to meet Neil Halstead of Mojave 3 and Slowdive (who reportedly spent Saturday afternoon chasing his toddler around. It would have been nice to discuss Vox amps and potty training in the same conversation). We spotted Gary Louris of The Jayhawks walking the grounds, but I resisted the urge to tell him how much I loved his guitar sound on Hollywood Town Hall.

"Give 'em the heater, Ricky!!!" Matt warms up with Steve and John H.

When we got back at the Roadhouse, Monogold was just getting started. I enjoyed their set when we played together at Maxwell's, but they were even better at Truck. They absolutely killed. It's amazing that so much sound comes from three guys. I was able to spend a few minutes with Robin Bennett during their set. He was an extremely gracious host and I'm glad I was able to meet him in person after several email exchanges. The Dreaming Spires were another one of the bands I wish I could have stayed for (one of many on a very long list), but unfortunately, our adult lives prevented us from staying the whole weekend. Our set was well received and even prompted some of the locals to dance a bit. We broke our unwritten rule of "one cover only" during our set, opting for a performance of Big Star's "September Gurls" in tribute to Alex Chilton and one of our personal favorites, "Inside Out" by The Mighty Lemon Drops for all of our English friends in the audience (which included author John Niven, who seemed to really like the idea of an American band covering The Mighty Lemon Drops). I've heard John on Steve Lamacq's 6Music show and it was great meeting him in person. I'll be reading "Kill Your Friends" on my next vacation.

I was really looking forward to Forgetters' set and they did not disappoint. They have great energy and raw stripped down sound. Blake is an excellent frontman and an all around nice guy. The original plan was to head home after Forgetters' set. That didn't even come close to happening, as we stuck around for The Joy Formidable, Nina Violet and even some of Wintersleep's set (all excellent). Finally, after several failed attempts to drag ourselves away, we packed up and started the long ride back to Jersey. Just like that, it was all over. But we had a fantastic time. In addition to thanking the Bennetts for their hospitality, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention John Herguth of Atlantic/Pacific who put in a good word for us. We owe you big.

PS - In usual TBR fashion, we were extremely lax with taking photos. Oh well. Better to be heard then seen.

Cheers,
Jerry

Death of a Snare Drum

2010-04-07T06:34:00.000-07:00

If you've been reading our Facebook page at all, you've probably heard about Matt's snare drum's epic failure at our last show. We had completed our tribute to Alex Chilton (a last minute, learn-it-in-the-car-and-say-a-prayer rendition of Big Star's "September Gurls") without a hitch and got through most of "Signal To Noise", until right around the 3:04 mark, when a mystery projectile flies through the air...

Matt mentioned later that he thought he had simply broken a stick, which is fairly common. After a quick check, he noticed the sticks were completely intact. When he looked down, he saw this...

(I added the maroon background).

You can see us all hovering over the kit to inspect the gaping hole in his snare drum - like one of us "geetar players" is going to know what to do about it. We stood around for a bit and waited for a new snare to appear (courtesy of either The Campbell Apartment or Lieder, not sure which, but thanks!). In the interest of moving things along, we opted to do one more track with the busted snare.

It reminds me a bit of those "dead 70s" sounding snare drums, like the snare sound on Let It Be (this one, not this one). In 27 years playing drums (including time in hardcore and punk bands), Matt has never had a head split before. He's also not sure why it split when it did, as the "fatal blow" wasn't even the hardest hit.

Just for good measure, here's one more song from the Asbury Lanes show.

But really, all of this simply means I have no real news to report.

Happy Wednesday, people.

- Jerry

In Memory of Alex Chilton

2010-03-18T07:45:00.000-07:00

NOTE: This will be posted to my NJ.Com blog either later today or tomorrow, but I wanted to get it posted as quickly as possible. Once it moves to NJ.com, I will remove it from here and replace this post with a link to the article.

___

I woke up this morning to the sad news that Alex Chilton had passed away at the age of 59. I am feeling a lot of the same things I felt when Joe Strummer passed away. I never met Alex Chilton, but his music has had a huge influence on me. My first exposure came from The Replacements song that bares his name. I wasn't sure who Alex Chilton was at the time, but if Paul Westerberg was singing about "children by the million” singing “for Alex Chilton" (a slightly ironic lyric given his relative obscurity in popular music circles), that was good enough for me. A few years later, A fellow DJ at our college radio station (one who was instrumental in my musical "education" - a big thank you, Mr. Chadwick) recommended I check out Big Star. It was almost too much to take in - hearing the first two Big Star records (#1 Record and Radio City) back to back was a revelation; I imagine it would be a lot like hearing A Hard Day's Night and Revolver without any advanced knowledge of The Beatles or their music. #1 Record mixed 70's rockers like "In The Street" (which went on to become the theme song to the FOX sitcom That 70's Show) with lush mid-tempo acoustic songs like "Ballad of El Goodo" and "Thirteen". It is a beautiful record, filled with songs about love, introspection and self-doubt. The performances are pristine - every note perfect, every harmony spot on - an amazing accomplishment in the days before Pro Tools and auto tune. Chilton (along with Chris Bell who was equally instrumental for the album's brilliance) had crafted a delicate masterpiece with #1 Record. With Radio City, Chilton offered an entirely different spin on his songs, stripping them down to the bare essentials of drums, bass, guitar and short blasts of piano and other incidental instruments. Like its predecessor, it is loaded with top shelf songs - from the opening blast of "O My Soul" and its twangy guitar heroics, to the driving chords of "Daisy Glaze" and "Back of A Car", it is as essential as an album can be. And then there's "September Gurls", the bonafide power pop classic brought to the masses by none other than Susanna Hoffs and The Bangles. There's an old saying about The Velvet Underground that says, "they never sold many records, but every one of the group's fans went out and started a band"; the same can be said for Big Star. In #1 Record and Radio City, Alex Chilton provided the definitive guide to power pop, and countless bands have followed his lead.

Alex was scheduled to perform at SXSW this weekend, a testament to his undeniable influence and relevance as a musician. It would be a fitting homage to have a tribute concert featuring all of the SXSW artists he influenced performing Big Star and Chilton songs, but they would probably need another week of shows to get to everybody.

To borrow and rephrase Alex's own words, "Thank you, friend / Wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you / I'm so grateful / For all the things you helped me do". Thank you, Alex. Rest in peace.

Some Noise From The Void

2010-02-23T11:07:00.001-08:00

It's been quiet around here. Very quiet. Time to answer a few questions about what has been going on in our camp.

First, as a recap to our Maxwell's show, thank you again to everyone who made it out. As promised, both TBR and Lieder donated our full door profits to the American Red Cross. In the grand scheme of things, it doesn't amount to all that much, but we believe that every little bit helps, and it's those hundreds of thousands of little bits that are (hopefully) making a difference. If you were there, we hope you feel good about donating because really, it was your donation - all we gave was our time and we were happy to do it.

Next on our agenda will be Asbury Lanes show on Friday, March 19th. If you've never been, I highly encourage you to check it out. It's truly one of the most unique venues I've ever been to (and definitely the most unique venue we've ever played). It might seem strange that we would be so excited to perform at a bowling alley, but then who doesn't like bowling? And bowling mixed with live music?!? Sure, it might not have the same effect as watching the local mullets knock pins as Nickelback blares from the jukebox for the 19,826th time. Actually, that's the idea.

We're also looking forward to reuniting with The Campbell Apartment for this one. They've been on a bit of a break as they pen their second record. With all the guys back on the east coast, we're thrilled to be playing with them (and Lieder) again.

With those brief items out of the way, that brings us to news about the record. I'd like to tell you that I've saved the most exciting news for last. I'd like to tell you that we're putting the finishing touches on it right now. I'd like to tell you all of this - but I can't.

As we've mentioned in previous posts, our limited (and that is putting it mildly) budget has forced us to finish the album on our own. Thanks to advances in modern technology, recording at home doesn't mean a sacrificing quality. This is a good thing - a very good thing - because it allows people like us to make records at a fraction of the cost of booking studio time (in all fairness, our project is more of a hybrid that mixes both home and studio recording).

Unfortunately, that coin has two sides. Working "off the clock" is good for the wallet, but it can also slow down the process. When you suddenly have the time to work at your leisure, it is very easy to lose some of the urgency as the project wears on. I also believe that it affects the way each of us plays our parts. Everybody wants to get his pieces "just right". When you are in a studio paying an hourly rate, there is pressure to work fast; every take represents a few more dollars slipping away. Now that the pressure is off, I've found it harder to get that elusive "final take". I guess a good analogy would be how some closers in baseball need a tight game in order to pitch their best. Not that I would ever compare my sloppy strumming to the precision of Mariano Rivera.

This is all the news I have for now, which I realize isn't much. I can also reveal that there's a good chance this next record won't be released on our Tabbycat Records label. It's not quite definite just yet (which is why I'm not revealing all of the details), but that's good news because it means somebody else wants to put it out.

- Jerry

Maxwell"s.....January 30th, 2010

2009-12-27T15:29:00.000-08:00

We're poking our heads out at the end of January after spending time in the studio recording and enjoying the holidays with family and friends. I can safely speak for myself and my bandmates by saying Maxwell's is a special place for us to play. It's like playing a hall of fame of sorts, so many shows we've been to there..........from Luna to Alex Chilton (which by the way was the LOUDEST show Steve and I have ever witnessed). It's weird because it's *warning: cliche coming* an honor to play there and we, inexplicably, always get a great crowd when we play there! We hope you're a part of it.

So, what now?

2009-12-01T16:15:00.000-08:00

The performances are in the proverbial "can" and what we're left with is this collection of songs, finished and somewhat unfinished, waiting to be finalized for posterity on LP #1. There are lyrics to write, melodies to reconsider and possibly change, a handful of overdubs, mixing and mastering.......and how many physical cd's do we actually press when it's all done? Does anyone still buy cd's? (I do, but I also just got a cell phone that can take pictures too!) But that's all unimportant anyway isn't it? What IS important is that this music we made reaches as many people as possible. We have no dillusions of ever making a cent from making music but we also don't want to cynically put it on the internet to float around in cyberspace for eternity either. So,I guess what I'm trying to say is please enjoy our album. PLEASE!!!!! We love you.

- Mark

A Message from Mark Wright

2009-11-19T15:41:00.000-08:00

So, this weekend we record our first full-length record. I know, yipee right? Well, I was thinking about this on the ride home from wherever I was last night. An awful lot can happen in a REALLY short period of time. During the course of writing and arranging the songs for LP #1, members of the band have experienced job losses, spouse losses, house losses, memory losses, etc.(you get the picture). We've also watched our kids grow, fallen in love, and learned a lot about being in a band and playing music. It's been a hard couple of years, but you won't hear that on most of the album. We want whoever listens to the songs to take from them what we have. There are only a few downer moments in a couple of tunes but, for the most part, we were just looking for opportunities to forget all about the negative things in life and create rock and roll that takes us, and hopefully you, to a better place. As music lovers, we're just trying to pay back what we owe to all the bands and artists that got us to where we are as a band and inspired us to look beyond the parade of dramas in everyday life to create something new. We really hope you like what you hear. Thank you!

- Mark

A message from Matt Horutz of The Brixton Riot

2009-11-19T08:07:00.000-08:00

Hi! This is Matt, drummer for The Brixton Riot. I just wanted to say that I'm really excited about heading into Arcade Audio Recording Studios this weekend for my very first recording session with the band. I think we wrote a really strong prog-rock opera record and I'm psyched to get all of our 8 minute (or longer) songs preserved in digital format. You can rest assured that I've got my 16 piece drum kit (including Octoban toms) all tuned up, and the 38" gong is polished and ready to go. Who knows, we may even attempt a Yes, Rush or Genesis cover!

P.S. – The airbrushed fantasy art we have for the album cover is TOTALLY killer!!!

- Matt

Preface To LP # 1

2009-11-16T10:25:00.000-08:00

After countless delays, scheduling conflicts, canceled and rescheduled (and canceled again) sessions, some head-scratching, some sixth grade math and even a bout of the Swine Flu, we're finally five days away from beginning work on our debut album.

Actually, the "work" part started a long time ago. We've been preparing for a while now - writing new songs, tracking demos, arranging and re-arranging older songs and so on. We tracked our first demos for the record all the way back in April, in preparation for our originally scheduled sessions at Red Bank's Retromedia Studios in August. Then August became September and September became October. After some soul searching (and number crunching), we realized that we needed to explore other options to stay within our budget. Enter Dave Harman, drummer extraordinaire for The Campbell Apartment and the owner of Arcade Audio. After a brief scheduling hiccup in October, we're all systems go to begin rolling this Saturday.

It's hard to say exactly what will make it to the final product. The pool of tracks is about 16 deep and spans everything from our first song ("Cover's Been Blown") to our latest ("Signal To Noise Ratio") and there's even a cover song on the list. The plan is to get as many of these recorded as possible and then decide which songs will make the cut. None of the tracks on the Sudden Fiction EP will be repeated on the record.

And that, dear reader, is where we stand. We're planning on blogging, tweeting (I can't stand this word) and whatever it is that one does on Facebook throughout the recording process, but really, all that is secondary to actually recording. So all I can say for certain is "we'll try".

Oh, and as for that vague and unoriginal title "LP #1"...I'm happy to report that we do have a few candidates for a real title, with one front runner...but we're going to keep those quiet for now.

- Jerry

Saturday, 11/7/2009 3 PM - Kenny's Castaways (NYC)

2009-10-21T05:37:00.000-07:00

WHAT: The Brixton Riot returns to perform at the 9th Annual International Pop Overthrow Festival for the 3rd consecutive year.

WHEN: Saturday, November 7th at 2 PM.

WHERE:

Kenny's Castaways
157 Bleecker St.
New York, NY
(212) 979-9762
http://www.kennyscastaways.net/
$10

*** ALL AGES, BUT ALL PERSONS UNDER 21 MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY A PARENT ***

WHY: Because we're huge fans of IPO and of Mr. David Bash, the man who makes it all happen. International Pop Overthrow (or IPO, as it has affectionately become known) is a pop music festival which features the best pop and rock bands from around the world. The festival takes place annually in several U.S. cities, including Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, Boston, Detroit, San Francisco, Seattle, Atlanta, Chapel Hill and Minneapolis, two cities in Canada: Vancouver, British Columbia and Toronto, Ontario, as well as Liverpool, UK.

And to top it all off, we have the good fortune of sharing the stage with Lieder, one of NJ's finest and one of our personal favorite bands. If you've been to a few of our shows, odds are you've seen Lieder once or twice. They're a great band and you DON'T want to miss their set. In fact, you can't go wrong with any of the bands on this bill or on any other night at IPO. David goes to great lengths to put together cohesive lineups and find some of the best rock and power pop bands you've never heard. We'll all be there early and stay until the end. Here's the full lineup.

1:30 Kevin McAdams -http://www.myspace.com/kevinmcadams
2:00 R. Stevie Moore/Lane Steinberg - http://www.myspace.com/rsmlms
2:30 Lieder - http://www.myspace.com/liederband
3:00 The Brixton Riot - http://www.myspace.com/thebrixtonriot
3:30 Ed Hale - http://edhale.com/
4:00 The Desperate Club - http://www.myspace.com/desperateclub
4:30 The Intangibles - http://www.myspace.com/intangiblesrock

This is our first show in three months and it's the last "planned" show for 2009. We don't expect to be adding any others before the New Year, but hey, you never know...

Is This Thing On?

2009-10-21T05:20:00.000-07:00

Hi there,

Thanks for finding your way to our Blogger site. We created this blog as a "central spot" for posting band news, show information, photos and other media. We'll also be posting journal entries as we continue to work on our first record. Odds are that it will probably host the incoherent ramblings of one or more members at some point, most likely fueled by large quantities of alcohol.

The original concept was for this site to serve as a "media blog"; a place to post audio and video recordings of various live performances, rehearsals, cover songs and demos, and we certainly hope to do all that with this space. The other goal was to try and simplify our current method of blogging, which usually requires posting the same (or similar) information to Facebook, iLike, MySpace and ReverbNation. For now, we'll use this as the main online source of information for the band (though we will continue to post live dates to all of the other sites). It will also allow us to keep the mailing list emails brief and as infrequent as possible. Believe it or not, we do go out of our way to be non-intrusive.

So that's basically all we've got for now. In the upcoming weeks and months, look for more information on the recording of LP #1, free mp3 downloads, information on upcoming shows and general news items.

That's all for now.

Cheers,
Jerry - Mark - Matt - Steve
The Brixton Riot
thebrixtonriot@gmail.com