During the run-up to Pennsylvania’s Democratic primary in April, the campaign carnival freak show was in full swing — babies were kissed, diners were patronized and, famously, bowling alleys were desecrated.

It was during this critical apex of the hotly contested heavyweight bout with rival Hillary Clinton that then-candidate Barack Obama walked into an Altoona bowling alley, laced up a pair of bowling shoes, took off his jacket and proceeded to turn in one of the most pathetic performances in the history of bowling.

The media had a field day with it, lampooning Obama and his score of 37 (albeit compiled — painfully — over seven frames). Even Obama had a laugh.

“My economic plan is better than my bowling,” he quipped.

“It has to be!” a man in the crowd replied.

Today, in the throes of a paralyzing economic crisis and at the conclusion of a long, intense campaign, that moment seems ever so light, America oh so innocent. It has been quite the roller-coaster ride, as we’ve gone from clinging to religion to the slinging of mud, from lipstick on a pig to palling around with terrorists, from Paris Hilton to Greek columns, from Honolulu to Hanoi, from a $400 haircut to a $150,000 wardrobe. In this election, we’ve truly seen it all — even, thanks to Joe the Plumber, the kitchen sink.

But it has been, in a way, a somber experience, with the soul searching that comes when a country is confronted with its deepest racial reservations. In March, Obama responded to an endless loop of polemic clips of Jeremiah Wright damning America with a personal, nuanced speech on race, a profound statement few have been in the position to make and even fewer to make as eloquently.

“The fact is that the comments that have been made and the issues that have surfaced over the last few weeks reflect the complexities of race in this country that we’ve never really worked through — a part of our union that we have yet to perfect,” Obama said in the March address. “And if we walk away now, if we simply retreat into our respective corners, we will never be able to come together and solve challenges like health care, or education, or the need to find good jobs for every American.”

It is a stunning development that not only has America, for the first time in its history, chosen an ethnic minority to be its leader, but has done so in a time of crisis. As former Clinton adviser Paul Begala put it, America has transcended race because it realizes that when one’s house is on fire, the ethnicity of the firefighter matters not.

So with the madness of this campaign finally behind us, we can start to figure out what madness lies ahead. President-elect Obama will enter office Jan. 20 facing heavy problems: an economic crisis of historic proportions and lingering conflicts in the Middle East. Never mind his ambitious domestic agenda, how Obama handles these situations could very well define his presidency, or at least frame it in the eyes of history.

Over the years, presidents have been judged by their crisis management. The commanders in chief consistently ranked highest in polling of historians — Washington, Lincoln, FDR, Truman, Kennedy — were baptized by fire.

And so it is now. Not since Reagan and the Cold War have American presidents faced such challenges so early on, and had such opportunities for greatness.

Bush, too, faced a historic crisis at the dawn of his presidency. As morbid as it is to say in light of the thousands of people whose lives were viciously taken from them, the president had an opportunity for greatness after the September 11th terrorist attacks.

How exactly did he respond? He started strong, and was unflappable in the immediate aftermath. “Terrorist attacks can shake the foundations of our biggest buildings, but they cannot touch the foundation of America,” he told the country. “These acts shattered steel, but they cannot dent the steel of American resolve.”

The course of Bush’s presidency since then, many would agree, went precipitously downhill.He used sky-high, post-September 11th approval ratings and sold America on an irrelevant war. He failed to rise to the occasion when the levies broke in New Orleans. He inherited a $128 billion budget surplus and leaves with a $454.8 billion deficit. And he presided over the greatest economic nadir since the Great Depression.

And he leaves us, as of this writing, with Osama bin Laden still at large.

Bush failed his crucible of greatness. And America will have to wait and see if the man it has entrusted its fate to — a man with an exotic background, an inconvenient name and a mixed ethnicity that aptly represents this country’s melting pot — will be able to rise to these challenges.

Like Bush the candidate, Obama has promised much, in some ways largely avoiding specifics. For instance, he failed to discuss in detail what impact the economic crisis will have on his expensive domestic plans.

Offering platitudes like “hope” and “change” might have a great ring to it on the stump, but it gives voters little indication of whether a candidate can actually make good on these broad assurances. It also makes it more difficult to deliver, for one who is promised the world can at best be merely satisfied and more likely will be disappointed, no matter what Obama is able to accomplish.

With America at risk of being passed by and world opinion of earth’s most powerful nation at alarming lows, there is no doubt much is at stake.

Few presidents have had the pins set up for him like Obama — Bush put them up, Obama will try to knock them down. But it will take every ounce of the cerebral Democrat’s self-promoted deliberation and judgment to avoid yet another gutter ball of a performance.

=Ben=

I know it’s been FOREVER since we blogged. Here are some random thoughts about this amazing election we’re about to partake in.

=Ben= 

I can’t stand that yet another presidential election will come down to a choice of personalities rather than issues, culture rather than merits and ideas.

But, I have to say, McCain’s choice of Palin was an utterly brilliant political move and it could very well pay off with the presidency. After all this country has been through the past eight years, can you believe the GOP might still control the White House?!

It will be very interesting to see if this bounce holds up. Ferraro provided a big bump too, but that eventually dissipated. I think it will come down to how the candidates perform at the debates.

Following national polls might drive one mad, but they do offer a snapshot at voter opinion, and provide some sort of indication of national mood. And there is no doubt that the Palin pick has, if nothing else, energized the base and put suburban, “Reagan Democrat” soccer moms in play.

All these Democratic surrogates say they’re not worried, that women will not gravitate to Palin in significant numbers because there’s no way they would vote for a ticket with their conservative view on Roe v Wade. I certainly can’t speak for women, but I just have this feeling that, except for an upper echelon, most will vote for personality, someone they can relate to, someone who knows what it’s like to be a working mom and knows its inherent struggles, someone’s who’s tough and spunky, rather than caring about abortion rights and the Supreme Court. And I’m talking about older, independent, social conservatives who will likely never have to use those abortion rights in their lifetime.

McCain has redefined this race and is winning news cycles day in and day out ever since Obama’s big speech by putting his opponent on the defensive. My feeling is that any chance there was for a blowout (which, if you follow those nefarious polls, didn’t look like much of a possibility even before the Palin pick) has gone out the window. That is, barring a blatant “potatoe” moment for Palin. (No, her Bush Doctrine blunder unfortunately doesn’t count.)

I was reading something, I think it was Chuck Todd, where they were saying that if nothing else, Palin will likely prevent the Senate from getting a filibuster-proof majority of 60, which had been in play. If more of the previously apathetic GOP base shows up for the election, that will have dramatic effects down ticket. So what looked like what could have been a Democratic down-ticket romp now looks to be a more modest gain.

That said, it would be nice to see an Obama blow-out and see voters choosing on integrity and not responding to pig-lipstick attacks. But after the past two elections, I’m just not so sure America is ready to be trusted to make that choice quite yet. Maybe I’m just too cynical!

I wish we lived in a country where substance actually matters. I just think sometimes it’s possible to almost overestimate the electorate. Gore and Kerry certain did. (Kerry decided not to dignify the swift boat allegations with a response. Those allegations went on to define him as a candidate, as did his lack of response.) It really feels like lowest common denominator sometimes.

When it comes down to it, will Appalachia be willing to pull the trigger on a “pedantic, elite, arugula-loving celebrity foreigner who has the most liberal voting record in the senate with a pastor who damns America” who perhaps doesn’t share their values, or a plucky moose hunter and a war hero? Never mind the fact that this war hero has voted again almost basic veterans benefits.

Every day the McCain campaign goes without having to talk about the economy, about the war, about health care, about how he’s going to pay for his tax cuts, is a victory for the GOP. We are now in a campaign of distraction and character assassination … the very tactics successfully employed in the past two presidential elections. It’s just all looking too familiar, and this election really is a litmus test for how far this country has come.

Really, this is a referendum on culture. Will Rove-ian divide-and-conquer politics beat out the politics of hope?

On a more strategic note, I wanted to mention that this election is about Obama, and both sides recognize that. It will come down to whether people can trust him to do the job. But I wish he’d make this less about him and do what Bill Clinton did, make it more about the American people. That’s where McCain gets his “country first” motto, the implication being that Obama puts himself first. Perhaps it will just come down to which of these candidates people think have their best intentions in mind.

btw, a couple more thoughts on polling. There are two more sorta diverging forces at play when it comes to these polls. For one, the fact that cell phone users are not included in the sample definitely skews in McCain’s favor, since Obama’s voters are more likely than McCain voters to not have a landline. (http://pewresearch.org/pubs/515/polling-cell-only-problem) 

however, there is also the so-called “Bradley effect,” where polls are skewed by people who say they’ll vote for a black candidate but don’t actually do it. There was some evidence of this effect in the primary against Clinton, and you have to wonder how much of an impact that will have in a general election. I have a feeling the two forces will sorta cancel each other out and we might have polling numbers that are close to the result. That’s just my own speculation.

I recognize how Palin has energized the base. But on a personal level, I just don’t care for the smugness and the condescending way she mocked things like Obama’s “community organizer” experience. I think getting your hands dirty and working in a community is most certainly a great qualification to be president. Certainly more so than having five ridiculously named kids.

And sorry, I know, we’re not supposed to talk about people’s families. But that’s another thing that bugs me about the McCain campaign’s sexism allegations, which are clearly just another distraction from talking about the issues. So, it’s OK for us to talk about her son going to war, but it’s not ok to talk about teen pregnancy? It’s OK for us to admire her family when she brings them up on stage, but it’s not OK to lampoon those ridiculous names?

These are fascinating times to be an American. And I believe the very fact that McCain, not a party favorite, is the Republican nominee and Obama is the first black nominee of a major party shows that we Americans have, in a way, passed a test. But I guess we’ll see how we do on the next test: the politics of distraction vs. the politics of hope.

=Ben=

I’m sorry, I’m realizing it’s been like two months since we’ve posted on here. I’m so bad about keeping up on this stuff … I’m always more interested in getting stuff done than talking about getting stuff done. Sometimes I have to force myself to stop and check in with you guys!

Sooooo … it’s been about three or four YEARS since we released any brand-spanking-new material. We released “Antidote” way back in 2004, and have been busy doing other things ever since. We did re-release a remixed version of that album this year. But in terms of new music, not a thing (minus a few unofficial demos and live recordings here and there).

However, that doesn’t mean we haven’t been busy working on new stuff. Quite the contrary, we’ve got a good solid two dozen unreleased songs sitting in our catalogue, waiting for their chances to shine.

That is why this new EP is so exciting. FINALLY, four really good songs that we can totally be proud of, thrust upon an unsuspecting world. We frankly just cannot wait to get this music out there.

But all in good time. We recorded these songs late last year at the Hive Recording Studio in Burien, Wash. (I know, we’ve been saying this EP is coming for a long time now, but bear with us!) It took a little while after some technical difficulties, but I managed to get my hands on the digital audio files and I’m in the process of mixing right now. I can tell you that it’s sounding GREAT. (I hope it’s as good as I think it is! hahaha)

This mixing process has been a liberating one. I had never had my own DAW (digital audio workstation) setup. Erecting (huh-huh I said erecting) one now opens up a whole new palette of options for us. For instance, we decided that once this EP is finished, we’ll begin work on our second full-length LP, very tentatively due for fall 2008. With so many unreleased songs to choose from (two dozen and counting), deciding on the lineup will be a challenge. But it’s certainly a problem we’re happy to have!!!

You know, I’m realizing there is even more news I should be updating you on. Well, for one, we decided on a name for the EP: “Age of Delirium.” I had been pushing for “American Idle.” But Mark and Justin brought up a few good points … including the fact that people won’t get the play on words and satirical attack on the Fox television show when they audibly hear the name — they’d have to see it visually. And we wouldn’t want people to mistakenly think we were in any way affiliated with that fine bastion of culture (the satirical attacks continue …). So we decided to name the EP after one of the songs, one that most pointedly makes an attack on pop culture in general.

We’re also well under way in getting the cover art done. The artist Jon Williams is working up the artwork, and it’s looking pretty cool. We hope to make a strong statement with that one.

Another bit of news … Grim Smiley from here on out is a three-piece band. We had been playing with a guitarist we met here, but we’ve since decided that we wanted to strip things down and make things simpler. The sound just got too muddy. And the three of us have such awesome chemistry, we decided to go with that. I’m not saying we’ll never add another member, but for now, we’re pretty stoked to be rocking it as a power trio.

So that’s it for now. I hope I’ve given you a lot to chew on. Hopefully this should tide you over for another two months!

ROCK!!!
=Ben=

So, I got my most recent issue of Rolling Stone in the mail the other day. I was delighted to see fellow Hawaii-born kamaaina Jack Johnson on the cover. That might be a first for Hawaii! (I don’t recall ever seeing Don Ho on there!!!!)

I am a subscriber to what is effectively the magazine of record when it comes to music. I still have some old RS’s that I saved from the ’90s with Nirvana gracing the cover. And while I do admit to feeling somewhat disconnected from some of the music that is out there these days, there is a lot in the magazine that I still do find interesting, especially features on awesome artists like Jack (you gotta love a guy who pees on his lawn to save a gallon of water), and stories on the sad, sad state of the music industry (which one part of me takes delight in — watching these monolithic corporate stiffs succumbing to the power of the people — and the other part apprehensive over what this industry revolution means to a band like mine). I even enjoy the magazine’s far, far, far left political rantings. While a bit too extreme for my tastes, their calling Bush the worst president ever made for a compelling and eye-opening read (any historian who isn’t afraid to say the F-word – several times — in a published essay certainly scores for gumption!). And Matt Taibbi’s stories, which liberally employ the use of commentary at the expense of credibility, do fairly provide a countervoice to the far-right rantings of radio talk show hosts.

Anyhow, so I was flipping through the magazine after reading the cover story on Jack. I was curious to read the piece touting the military surge in Iraq as a “myth.” I wanted to know what argument they make, since the surge has been widely regarded as a success, even amongst some begrudging democrats. So there I was, just minding my own business, when there it was – staring back at me from the sterile pages of the magazine, a picture of two U.S. soldiers gleefully posing with the decapitated head of a slain Sunni fighter.

I suppose the magazine was going for shock value. Well, in the words of George Bush, MISSION ACCOMPLISHED. I was so stunned – disgusted, really – that I put down the magazine and stopped reading. I understand that a vehicle of journalism (and I do realize that to call RS that is a bit of a stretch) needs to have the freedom to express even what is shocking and disturbing. But great care must be practiced with publishing such a graphic image. I am not clear on what point the magazine was trying to make with that photo. That U.S. troops are insensitive and do stupid things like throw puppies off cliffs and torture prisoners? How does that support the thrust of the story, that the surge isn’t working? It doesn’t. All it does is provide shock value for the sake of shock value.

And do I even need to bring up the point that what if the disembodied head belonged to your brother or your son or your father? Is that picture something you want circulating in a national magazine?

Publishing that photo was, above all, distracting from what very well might have been a great essay that I was unable to finish because of the bad taste thrust into my mouth.

btw, looks like they posted that essay online, but, it appears that photo is inexplicably missing.
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/18722376/the_myth_of_the_surge

###

Let’s see, what else … oh, we’ve been fascinated by this presidential election. I’ve never seen anything like this. The unbridled fervor has been inspiring and contagious. I burst with pride watching so many people impassioned about what’s important — the issues. The war in Iraq. Global warming. Health care. The economy. It is oh so refreshing to see people talking about superdelegates and Hillary’s institutional support in Pennsylvania. People almost seem to care more about this election than — dare I say it — the latest travesty by Britney Spears and the ilk.

As Jefferson said, an informed electorate is what a democracy is based on. Watching this movement gives me hope that a new generation of people will be less likely to be hoodwinked by leadership with an agenda counter to the best interests of the people it serves. It also makes me appreciate George Washington that much more. It was he who stepped away from the presidency after two terms, setting a precedent that has only been broken by one president. The honoring of term limits could be Washington’s single-greatest contribution to this nation. There might be many countries out there bashing the United States. But when you look at countries like Russia, where Vladimir Putin has installed a puppet president who will allow Putin to rule by proxy, it makes our ability to make the transfer of power a matter of routine so very impressive. And, as so many others are voicing on the ballot, I can think of few other times in recent history where a transfer of power was so direly needed. It gives me great pride to see this country fed up with the establishment, and actually trying to DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

ROCK!
=Ben=

-30-

So, for the first time since we recorded the bulk of “Antidote” in 2004, on Wednesday we returned to a studio to record some new songs.

It is an emotionally exhausting experience, a roller coaster full of peaks and valleys. But it is ever so rewarding to hear the mixes as we go along. The songs are coming along great, and we are very optimistic that we’ll have something worth putting out very soon.

A special thanks to Robert at the Hive Recording Studio for his ideas and expertise — and patience. And one thing we especially enjoy about working with Robert is how authentic the production is. Music today is too sterile and there’s no personality in rock music. You have computers and Pro Tools to thank for that. But at “The Hive,” Robert doesn’t let technology get in the way of a truly authentic experience. Such is the essence of rock ‘n’ roll.

If you are in a band that might be interested in working at The Hive, you should check out their website here: www.thehiverecordingstudio.com

The view from the street

Anyhow, back to this project. Just to give you an idea of how we like to work in the studio … our process involves a session with Justin on drums, Mark on bass and myself recording scratch tracks on guitar and vocals. We give each song a few takes and keep going until we do one that we’re confident with. We spent a lot of time in preproduction working out all the parts before we ever hit the studio, so this part of the process went along relatively smoothly. Then we begin guitar overdubs and lead vocals and harmonies. Once everything’s on “tape,” then we begin the mixing stage.

We set aside four days last week to get as much done as we could. It was an intense week, but things are coming along great. We don’t know how long the whole process will take, but we’re excited at how things are coming along.

So here’s an account on how things are going thus far:

Friday, Dec. 7, 2007

Justin goes in to set up drums and sound check the mics.

Wednesday, Dec. 12

11:08 a.m.: I arrive at the studio to find Justin and Mark set up and checking their levels with Robert. I take a look around, unload my gear and start to set up. Once all the levels are set, we work on “Age of Delirum” and “I Know,” and choose the takes we like the best.

12:12: Smoke break

Smoke break: Justin, Robert and Mark.

We also take a crack at “Rain on My Parade,” but decide to try again tomorrow.

3:06: Justin and Mark leave for the day. I start working on guitar overdubs on “Delirium” and “I Know.”

5:36: Robert needs to go burn more money at Guitar Center, so we call it a day.

Thursday, Dec. 13

10:02 a.m.: I show up and Robert and I listen back to what we’ve done. I take a shot at recording some vocals on “I Know” while we wait for Mark and Justin to arrive. They show up and we continue work on “Parade.” We do a take we’re happy with, then it’s on to “What Really Matters.”

We do one that Justin is happy with, but Mark wants to continue trying and works for another hour or so aiming for the perfect overdub. We sit around and get sick of the song.

Mark, ever the perfectionist

Mark and Robert scrutinize a take

2:33: We give “Running on Fumes” a shot on Robert’s brand new electronic TD-20 V-Drum kit, so we can let Robert play with his new toy. We also throw in this little funk jam, and an impromptu ultra-quick take of “Fall Into Place.” It sounds cool. We should revisit that one some day.

Then, in search of the perfect snare sound, we experiment on recording a drum take with the TD-20 over what Justin had already done on “Delirum.” Doesn’t turn out, so we scratch the idea of using the TD-20 on this project.

Justin tries out the TD-20 V-Drum

I try some vocals on “Delirium.” Voice is shot. We’ll try it again later.

The day ends at 6:03 p.m. with a group hug. Yeah, that’s how we roll.

Friday, Dec. 14

10:22 a.m.: I arrive to find Robert doing some initial mixing on “I Know.” It sounds incredible! Bobby Silver, who is doing some guitar work for us on this project, shows up 15 minutes later. He sets up and after careful consideration of choosing the right amps and guitars to get the appropriate tone for the part, records all his parts.

Bobby Silver lays down a guitar track

By 4:30 or so I begin my rhythm guitar overdubs. We call it a day at 6:30 after “Delirum” and “Matters” are in the can. There is some discussion on how to achieve the right guitar tone for “Parade.” But we decide to save this for tomorrow.

Ben plays guitar

Saturday, Dec. 15

10:26 a.m.: I arrive to find Bob and Robert talking guitars (a common theme during these four days). We spend two hours or so trying to find the right vocal mic. I lay down some keeper lead vocals for “I Know.”

Ben’s view in the vocal booth

2 p.m.: Bob records some nice vocal harmonies. We start messing around with some rough mixing on the song.

Bobby Silver hanging out

3:30 p.m.: We start miking an amp to record my guitar parts for “Rain on My Parade.” After some technical issues and a couple takes, all electric guitar parts are pretty much DONE for this project. We call it a day at 4:48 p.m. and will take a couple days off before we head back.

UP NEXT

We still have to finish up the vocals for “Matters,” “Parade” and “Delirium.” Oh, and I’ll be redoing my guitars on “I Know.” Then we’ll be adding a cello to “Parade.” Then we mix!

ROCK
=Ben=

-30-

What is it with these reality shows and their ability to sink their claws into us? They are like a hardcore narcotic — you know you shouldn’t do it (watch it) and you tell yourself “I’ll just try it this once,” and the next thing you know you’re completely addicted! I have had my fair share of battling these beasts myself. I watched the ‘original reality show,’ the ‘Real World,’ and I even got sucked into watching a marathon of ‘America’s Next Top Model’ with my girlfriend one day (NEVER AGAIN!).

But I never realized the true power of their grip until a couple weeks ago. I was flipping through the channels when I saw ‘A Shot of Love With Tila Tequila’ about to start. I instantly knew that this was the peak of a long string of the stupidest TV shows ever known to mankind, yet, I started to watch it. As I watched it I realized more and more how ridiculous this show was, yet more and more … I couldn’t stop watching it. I knew that it was a perfect example of how completely disturbed our mainstream media can be and why other countries looking in at us from the outside think we are so ‘lost’!  How could you not after watching these reality shows! Now, don’t get me wrong, Tila seems like a sweetheart with an angelic smile, but what kind of values are we teaching our children when we find it more important to find out who she finds Love with, or even WORSE, what Hugh Hefner’s three girlfriends do on a daily basis, than how many of our people have died in Iraq, or whether or not there is a child who’s going to go to sleep hungry and cold tonight, OR the fact that our entire social-economic system is on the verge of a ‘bridge like’ collapse?

I am not claiming to be a saint, nor do I preach any religion, but it seems to me that we have strayed too far off of the path. Yes, life is for living and everything is an experience, but we do have a responsibility in this life to make well-thought-out decisions regarding the care and well-being of our people, communities and nations, and carry them out to completion. Instead, it seems that our ‘governments’ are doing the best job EVER of robbing us blind, while we sit ‘hypnotized’ to these ‘UNREALITY’ TV shows. What really bothers me is that our government, mainly the hardcore republican businessmen, who own and run our country, claim that we are a nation of moral do-gooders who need to purge the rest of the world of their evil ways. Well, for a ‘Christian Country,’ we sure do a lot of sinning! In fact, is there a government out there at all that is leading the way to a better world? I would have to say that the governments of the world are constantly fucking up the work that people ARE doing to make this world a better place!

I think the sad truth is that since the days of Christ people have been using Jesus’ name to their own evil ends. Kinda like when George W Bush declared to the world that ‘we’ as a ‘Christian Nation’ were going to defeat the ‘Axis of Evil’ over in the Middle East. HOW STUPID CAN YOU BE? Way to add fuel to the fire numb-nutz!!!!! I mean, do you think that if Jesus came back today that he would go, “Wow, American government, you’re really doing a great job of spreading the good word! Way to represent me and everything I taught my disciples!” I DON’T THINK SO!!! It wouldn’t be so bad if that’s what was actually happening, but when one of our government’s OWN renown economists finally breaks down and says “we are in Iraq for the oil,” you know the cat’s outta the bag!!!!!

Now the Ying to the Yang, the Smiley to the Grim, I saw a GREAT show on TV last night called ‘THE HENRY ROLLINS SHOW.’ WATCH IT!!!!! He interviewed a couple of American ‘Iraqi’ veterans. I don’t care how republican or conservative you are, if you don’t feel, after watching that episode, that we need some serious checks and balances on our current government, and ESPECIALLY its stance on foreign affairs, then you are either completely brainwashed or just plain frightened of change.

Justin~

P.S I know of one Rock & Roll band called Missing Dave who saw this whole thing coming with their song “Reality Show Junkie”!!!!!

It’s been a REAL long time since we’ve gone into the studio to record some new songs. Starting Wednesday we’ll begin production on an EP of some of our fresher material — some songs you might already have heard, some maybe not. We’ve been working hard in preproduction for the past couple weeks and things are really shaping up. We can’t wait to unleash the yet-to-be-named EP upon the world!

The project will feature:
>> “Age of Delirium”
>> “I Know”
>> “Rain on My Parade”
>> “What Really Matters”
>> And possibly a new tune, “Running on Fumes”

We’ll be posting updates on how things are going. Maybe even some pictures. So keep checking back!!!

ROCK!!!
=Ben=

-30-

OK … it’s time for the first-ever installment of the Grim Smiley Show!!! Justin, Mark and myself sat down for a little chat into the microphone to talk about many things … including: our thoughts on moving from Hawaii to Seattle, a list of some of the band names we rejected instead of Grim Smiley, funny stories from our Idaho trip with our buddies Out From Underneath, clips from and the stories behind our new album, our plans to go back to the studio, an announcement that our buddies Pimpbot are coming to Seattle, Mark’s take on his meeting with “The Bills” (Gates and Clinton), the screaming people of Seattle, and lots and lots of other inconsequential stuff!!!

ROCK!!!
=Ben=

ps … we want to hear from you! Contact us here (or leave a comment to this blog) to give us a question to answer or topic to expound upon in our next podcast!!!

 

 Podcast 1 (11-23-2007) [36:04m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

3 years later i’m finally writing my first blog….anyways better late then never, right?  Idaho was a cool gig, kinda seemed like a totally different world when crossing the border from Washington.  When me and Justin were walking through the grocery store we definetely stuck out like a mo fo……woooo these guys like rock music…..stay away kids.

Anyways back to cold Seattle, which u think wouldn’t be cold for me because I grew up in N.Y., but I think Hawaii turned me into a little bitch for lack of a better word.  Wasn’t really too excited about coming home except for seeing my girl…I just really like being out on the road where something different happens everyday, meeting new people and seeing things you’ve never seen before, to me that is priceless.

Looking forward to getting back in the studio to record some new songs and getting back on the road….until next time   shooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooootz

Markey D

Well, we’re back from our little road trip to John’Alley Tavern in Moscow, Idaho. We had a great time rocking out for the VERY FIRST TIME as Grim Smiley. And it was rad to hang with our buddies Out From Underneath!

The whole experience reminded me of our 12-venue tour of the West Coast in October 2006. Long hours on the road, getting in sleep when you can, checking into and out of hotel rooms …

For a band from Hawaii, six hours is a real long drive. You could circle Oahu three times in six hours!

We got up early Saturday, met OFU and helped pack up gear, drove for six hours, got to the hotel, went to the venue, set up, soundchecked, ate, back to hotel to get ready, back to venue, played an hour set, watched OFU, drank a little (some of us more than others), back to hotel to sleep, watched Justin get sick, woke up early, drove for six hours, dropped off Justin and Mark, and eventually drove home and PASSED OUT. Quite a whirlwind weekend! But it ROCKED!!! We are able to shake off some rust and play an amazing set. We can’t wait to finally make our Seattle debut hopefully soon.

Anyway, here are some pictures. Sorry we don’t have any of us actually playing on stage (it’s hard to take pictures of ourselves while playing!).

ROCK!
=Ben=

Mark was the first to fall asleep on the six-hour drive to Idaho …

Justin fell asleep next. I somehow stayed awake, which is good since I was driving …

The crowd poses for a picture …

Justin and the prerequisite Super Drunk Guy (every bar has at least one) harass me after we rocked an hourlong set!

This photo was taken right when the flash went off of Justin and Mark posing for a picture …

Mark, Justin and Bobby Silver, who played the set with us on guitar.

I like my water …

Our buddies Out From Underneath rocked the house!

OFU’s Jamie tells it like it is. Jason rocks out on bass. And to the right is Vertical Dave, who is 7 feet tall!!!

Justin watches Out From Underneath kick some ass

Justin had a little too much to drink … =/

There wasn’t a whole lot to look at on our drive. But we did come across some cool spots.

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Apparently this Dog’s bark is worse than his bite.

Duane “Dog the Bounty Hunter” Chapman was caught on tape deriding one of his sons over his black girlfriend, with the repeated use of the “N-word.”

When his show first came out in 2004, I wasn’t too crazy about it — I’ve never been a fan of the whole reality TV thing. But since moving from Hawaii to Washington in April, I’ve grown to enjoy it — mostly to catch glimpses of home, places I know and have been in Honolulu. One of my favorite scenes was when Dog found some crack-head in the dumpster at the Hideaway, a little-known bar off the fringes of Waikiki that I used to frequent.

I also thought his little lectures after apprehending a suspect were, while maybe a bit self-indulgent, seemingly benevolent. He appeared to be coming from a good place, with relatively altruistic intentions.

And perhaps that is still the case. Using a racial slur doesn’t necessarily make you a bad person. At best, it makes you an obtuse idiot.

I suppose it helps to realize that Chapman is coming from a time and place where language like this was not only tolerated, it was normal. It’s almost reminiscent of the old grandfather who is not quite up to speed on the most politically correct terms to describe minorities, homosexuals and others who haven’t had it easy. But using language like this — albeit during what was thought to be a private moment — is quite simply inexcusable.

What upsets me most about it is that Dog had become somewhat of an ambassador of aloha, representative of Hawaii and all its values. Back home he is — or, should I say, was — beloved. This ugly news is the top story of the day in a place that is starving for attention beyond just being paradise. Sure, there’s racism there, like anywhere, but in the islands, one of the most accepting places on earth, slurs like that aren’t heard very often. I’m saddened by the thought that this incident could change that perception.

I also find it utterly entertaining how the first thing a celebrity will do after putting his foot (or paw) in his mouth is book a spot on the Circuit of Sorry, thinking everything will be OK if you just admit you screwed up. Dog is following in the pathetic footsteps of Mel Gibson, Kramer (Michael Richards) and Don Imus. What, uh, colorful company to be in.

When The Rev. Al Sharpton (usually one of the first stops on the Circuit of Sorry) meets with Dog, perhaps the Eloquent One should cuff Dog and lecture him in the back of an SUV. And maybe offer him “one smoke,” like dog always does with his prey. At a time like this, with a disappointed public looking on, he could probably use one …

=Ben=

Related link:
‘Dog’ on leash after N-word rant

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So we are 4 and a half months in to our ‘Voyage of Discovery’.  Things have gotten much smoother now. The first month or so was pretty rough. Mark almost didn’t make it on the plane! I won’t forget the first time I got out of the shower on a cold morning, or when I sat down on the porcelain toilet seat to drop a load, I seriously contemplated whether or not I could handle it out here. It’s not that I have not experienced cold before, it’s just you tend to forget what it’s like living in Hawaii. Mark and I shared a room, for the first couple months, at my dad’s apartment in Richmond Beach, Shoreline. (It was like having a brother all over again!) We spent most days and nights trying to block out the depression of having moved from the most beautiful place in the world, leaving friends, family, and girlfriends behind. We did things like shooting pool, playing music, and drinking ‘Mass’ (Seattle term for ‘choke’) amounts of beer. Once Mark moved to Belltown, I had my room all to myself, at which point I quickly set up my acoustic kit.

     We’ve made some good friends since we moved here. Alex Karchevsky is an old-school regular in the Seattle Rock and Roll scene. He was the front man for ‘Murdock’, and is about to front a new conglomoration of Seattle musicians to be called ‘Over the Eight’. Our upstairs neighbor is a chellowist for a very talented group called ‘Reed’. Of course we are kicking it with ‘Out from Underneath’, a great Seattle rock band that we met when they were on tour. 

So, Everytime someone asks me “WHY WOULD YOU LEAVE HAWAII TO COME HERE?!! I  just keep reminding myself that when you have a dream, you have to give it all you got.

Justin~

OK, upon further review, that new Foo Fighters album isn’t so bad after all. I do still stand by my statement that many artists do tend lose touch with their audiences as time goes on, and that this album is an example of that. But there are some really, really good moments on this record, that stay with you. Possibly the biggest highlight for me is the final track, “Home.” Dave Grohl on piano?! Is there an instrument he CAN’T play?! “Stranger Things Can Happen” lodges itself into your brain and holds on for dear life. (Including the wind-up metronome is a nice touch too …) The two singles, “The Pretender” and “Long Road to Ruin,” do succeed in beautifying the landscape of radio.

But for all the bright spots on the album, there are a fair share of forgettable tracks. This is the first Foo Fighters record that I cannot listen to from start to finish without having to skip tracks. Does the need for an artist to evolve water down the primal connection he has to the listener? Do songwriters run out of material and start settling for mediocrity? Or, perhaps, it is the listener that is stuck in nostalgia, preferring the familiar over the experimental. Maybe I am guilty of that. Or, maybe, it’s a little of all of the above?

Yes, “Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace” is the Foo Fighters’ most sophisticated album to date. And I do think that’s a good thing. But on a primal level, their first album — a rough, glorified demo featuring Grohl on every instrument — has done more for me personally than “Echoes” has. There was just something raw and simple about that first one. It’s the kind of album that when you listen to it it takes you back to wherever you were in your life when you first heard it.

Perhaps I should just stop bitching and just be grateful for a seventh rocking album. Man … I wonder what Nirvana’s seventh album would have sounded like. You think Kurt would have tried out the piano?!?!?

ROCK!
=Ben=

ps: Incidentally, you should check out this interview Grohl did for NPR. It’s a good listen.

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OK, I broke down and learned how to play Death Cab for Cutie’s “I Will Follow You Into the Dark” and the Plain White T’s “Delilah” on guitar. I’ve heard those songs on the radio all summer, part of me cringing at the insipid sappiness, and the other drawn by the folksy, stripped-down genuine nature of those tunes. So, ever the fan of a ballad, I figured out how to play the songs. Now I just gotta figure out how to get those friggen songs out of my head …

I picked up the new Foo Fighters CD (well, requested it for a birthday present) and the Silversun Pickups’ “Carnivale.” The Foo Fighters — quite possibly my favorite band all-time after Nirvana — opened things up musically with this album (as influenced by their recent live acoustic sets). Granted as of this writing I’ve only given the album one listen (and I admit that often this is a bad time to develop an opinion about a project), but it just feels like this one’s not grabbing me like ever single other FF album has (or even going back to Dave Grohl’s first release, on the B-side of Nirvana’s “All Apologies” single). For the first time for me, things are starting to sound the same with them. It’s almost like somewhere along the way a band forgets how to really grab people and things get watered down. Another band I’ve seen this in is Weezer — which rivals FF for No. 2 on my all-time list. While Rivers Cuomo’s songwriting is still sharp (as is Grohl’s, don’t get my wrong), I think many would agree that their first album, the Blue Album, is their most endearing. And while their newer releases have better production and maybe adhere closer to pop structure and are more technically sound, there’s a certain character that’s missing. Do bands become more detached from their audience and art as time goes on?

I hope that never happens to us.

ROCK!
=Ben=

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