apples and bonanza

aloha.
here we are, enjoying a break on this tour, recovering from SXSW madness. if i see one more pair of black skinny jeans, i swear...

we are in austin for one last night before heading on to houston to play the first of a couple shows with So Many Dynamos. our shows up to this point have been pretty great. we started the tour playing a few shows with our labelmates Bald Eagle and Witch's Hat. they bring it. it should be noted that they've also got some ringers on the basketball court. and i've got blisters. go figure.

bless our friends in stillwater, oklahoma. one of our favorite places to play.

this morning we said goodbye to Emergency Umbrella Records' jigga Billy Schuh, who is also the Optimus Prime of The Foundry Field Recordings. billy has been accompanying us for the last week+. he's unanimously our new favorite person, although for me it was a tough choice between him and Taylor Swift. seriously, the country version of that song (NOT the top 40 version) is kinda classic country and western. in a good way. but the pop version sucks with the different drumbeat, etc. everybody ruins everything.

in addition to the club shows, we played a house show in wichita that was fantastic due mostly to the kindness of the people putting it on. they housed all 3 EU bands and provided food and sodas for all. it was wonderful.

most of the trip so far has been spent battling sickness. i started it and the rest of the band followed suit. our first SXSW show came on the heels of our low point. the ol' throat wasn't feeling so hot at that point, but some Throat Coat and a little whiskey propelled me right along.

got to spend a lot of time with our dearests in Headlights. played some shows together and then got to watch them kill during some of their ELEVEN! SXSW shows. they have infinite amounts of fun playing. i could watch them always.

saw our friends T.J. and Nick from Aloha rock the Polyvinyl party. they both worked on our record and it was nice to see them again in a less crazed environment. that first song on the new Aloha EP is so effing good.

Colourmusic rips.

Nice to see Jon Hardy and the Public. love that record. and they always sound great.

Saw our friends in Two Cow Garage. can't wait to play with them again. lordy.

some other bands we were able to enjoy at SXSW:
Dizzee Rascal
Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin
Tilly & the Wall
The Constantines
Portastatic
WHY?
The Weakerthans
Portugal The Man
Rogue Wave
Black Diamond Heavies
Cloud Cult
Mahjongg (which was crazy-good)
Yeasayer
David Bazan

sorry, we have 7 members and we all like different ish. that's the small list.

all right, gotta do laundry while i can.

we miss you.

-EE and GAH

p.s. google new pics of ryan cabrera. it will blow your mind. what a jag.

Tracking Day Three...

day three...


bass = done!


guitar = almost done (eric's that is)

it has been an incredibly long week thus far - 12 to 14 hour days worth of GAH played repeatedly over the speakers

that being said, everything is sounding incredible
Devin has proposed some minor changes here and there with the rhythm section and it has paid off tremendously - sections of songs that we have grown accustomed to have now found a new life

today's schedule is a daunting one...

a) the remainder of Eric E's guitar
b) the remainder of Stephen's drums
c) some piano
d) stomps and claps
e) and if we have time... Steve and Mike's guitars, trumpet, etc.

today also is the last day that we are tracking on the Inner Ear side of the studio, as we move back into Silver Sonya tomorrow to finish up the tracking and to start mixing on Monday

---

it has been weird to hear a familiar sound coming through the walls as we sit in the lounge

TJ Lipple, from Aloha, has just started mastering the forthcoming Headlights LP and it sounds amazing - these guys are such good friends of ours and it is just another point on a long list of fateful happenings with regards to making this record

So Many Dynamos are in town tonight - hopefully we can figure out a way to make it over to catch their set

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Watching:
eachother sleep

Listening:
Headlights "TBA"
Hawksley Workman "For Him and The Girls"