Thank the Good Dude, It's Over

Josh here. It's been a while since I blogged, and with good reason. I've spent the past 3 weeks doing my darnedest NOT to fail out of grad school.

Well, to be fair, not to fail one class. But it was a doozy. However, I successfully earned a D+ in said class, so life rolls on. I will miss looking like Macaulay Culkin, though.

I've also been tied up with the closest thing to a real job I've had in 5 years. Since the end of April, I've been performing in RESPECT: A Musical Journey Of Women at the Act II Playhouse in adorable Ambler, PA (adjacent to Norristown, and a short hop from the imposing-sounding BROAD AXE). And let me tell you, if you think men are scum, if you remember the 40s, and if you want to sit in a theater and go "mm-hmm" for 2+ hours, then come on down. Seriously, the show definitely panders to 50-and-up female crowd, but it IS a pretty fun show. All the actresses are really nice, and the pay is good. But you will feel like a dick for having a penis (ba-dum-bum) if you sit through this.

One of the crew pointed out to me that there's only one man in the entire show who doesn't get a bad rap, and it's Dr. Martin Luther motherfucking King. The rest of us didn't have a prayer.

The band is finally working again after an unexpected hiatus (much of which was my fault), and we're looking forward to our upcoming show this Saturday, the 23rd, at Doc Watson's. It just so happens to be our 50th show, as well as James' 29th birthday. It's going to be a time, so come on down! I'll be screeching in around 11:15, minutes before our set, as I have a performance of RESPECT that night as well. Ah, the joys of professional musicianing.

Until next time, keep on tranglin'. (?)

The Punny Side of the Street

Sunday was Sad. So you'd think Monday would be happy here at the Sobriquets blog, right? I'd like to say it is, but it isn't. The rain won't go away! It's dampening my spirits, to say the least. Isn't there a saying about April showers bringing May flowers? I would like to see some of those flowers. Dry flowers.

Well, I'm sure it's the REAL May somewhere, so if anyone is having nice weather, be sure to comment below and rub it in. Describe it well, though. It'll make our visualization easier.

Today would be a good day to listen to some Sobriquets music. I think I'll "pop in" my copy of the soon-to-be-released Sobriquets EP. Since I don't have a physical CD, what do I say? I'll "click it on"? I'll "point to play"? What do you think? The digital revolution is upon us, so I guess we need to invent some new phrases. Are there a lot of phrases that sound dated if taken literally, but still in use in common modern language? Is there a term for THAT? Maybe my friend Nate Green will post something about this on his blog.

Good night everyone.

Sad Monday,
Nick

Sad Bastard Sunday Roundup: Rainy May Edition

Sad Bastard Sunday is right: no Phillies. Lame. Now what am I supposed to do between laundry and dinner?

Anyway... we had our first rehearsal in our new space, high above the street (which is really exciting when one is carrying amps, or drums, or a two ton anvil... this experiment may cause us all to have legs like Popeye's arms). Seemed to go well, though evidently I lack the proper tools to be able to set up much sound baffling (who knew you needed staples in a staple gun?). This is what I get for not being particularly handy. Pics to come soon.

This week, Arlen Specter changed parties (sorta), David Souter announced his retirement, and Nick finished editing the first of what we hope will be many, many video diaries of the Sobriquets. It includes live footage of us playing Boundary Blurring, a song which is, as yet, unavailable. Unless you were following our Download of the Month last year for the week between Christmas and New Years. Or go to our website right now and stream it. So I guess it's kind of available.

Speaking of Downloads of the month... Well, this is embarrassing... it turns out that last month, I was apparently asleep at the switch. April never got a Download of the Month. UNTIL NOW, BABY!!! Due to my egregious laziness/forgetfulness/uselessness, y'all get, in addition to the song I had intended to post, but also a sneak preview of a song from the new, almost-named EP coming out in July! Don't get too used to this generosity... I'm a cruel, cruel man.

Anyway, we're playing the Seaside Music Festival in Seaside Heights, NJ on the 15th, then our 50th SHOW SPECTACULAR WHICH IS ALSO MY BIRTHDAY on May 23rd at Doc Watson's here in Philly... so those oughta be pretty good parties.

Here's some pictures from our recent travels!

And the camera said, "Why is there only one set of footprints?"

And I said, "Because I was carrying you..."

Josh & Dan ponder the ineffable.

Nick & I create a feedback loop.

I try to leam at the James Leaming House.

Yay guitars (and amps and drums buried by guitars)!!

Me

Dan

Josh

Nick

The next two places are on the same block in New Cumberland, PA:

After taking this shot, the camera dies... is it me?

So anyway... gonna go have dinner now... See y'all soon!!

J(ames)

PS: The new Neko Case record is AMAZING.

Happy Un-Monday

If you've ever listened to the podcast I make with my friend Brian O'Rourke, you know that I don't read much. Well actually, I do read, but it's mostly for information. I usually prefer my entertainment to be watchable or listenable. But when Brian recently published his first novel, I had to check it out. I'd like to write a long, intelligent review praising it, but I'm no authority (no pun intended) on literature. I will say that I really enjoyed it, and couldn't wait to finish it, no matter how much I was distracted by TV shows, Phillies radio broadcasts, or news involving the producers and cast of the new Star Trek movie.

In The Unearthed, Brian is able to draw up characters who are easy to care about. The suspense is handled skillfully, and some intriguing plot twists keep you guessing right up to last sentence. His description of the action is vividly detailed, but it doesn't sacrifice the swift pace of the storytelling. Given the subject matter, reading it at 2AM with all the lights off was probably a bad idea. I scare easy.

Whoa, hold on, I think I almost tried to write a review there, even though I said I wouldn't. I'll quit while I'm ahead. Buy Brian's book here and you can tell me what you thought instead.

I think books may be trying to convert me to their teachings. Today I visited Barnes & Noble and a book called to me from the shelf. It literally called to me, yes. Then it made me read the first two chapters of itself before it'd let me leave. The Unthinkable is a non-fiction psychology book that analyzes human behavior during disasters, natural and man-made. It's an in-depth exploration of how and why people make certain decisions under extreme stress, and it's a topic that I've always wondered about. That's probably because I freeze at the grocery store when I'm trying to decide between 7-grain or 12-grain bread. How many grains do I need? I don't know!

What I do know is that I need to read.

If you'd also like to read, I say find some books whose titles start with "The Un". They seem to be a good bet.

Happy Monday (it's over!),

- Nick

Whatcha Listenin' Tooooo? (I Ain't Got Much This Week)

Yeah, nothing hugely of note this week. Josh has been busy working pit orchestra gigs, I've been busy looking for a new job, we're between practice spaces for a week or so, so not a ton of breaking news on my part. I thought I'd give a few records I've acquired over the last month that I'm listening to a once over. Who knows, maybe you'll find something you like.

M.I.A.- Kala

I missed the "outing" of M.I.A. a few years back. But on the drive to Coachella from LA last week, this record came up on a friend's iPod a few times and I decided to give it a real listen. I'm really weird about dance music- I do not dance in any fashion and tend to ignore the new genre of "dance-music-for-white-hipsters". But the beats and general production value of this record are really appealing: bits of dub, house, UK club and really unique samples (I'm particular to the Bollywood string samples).

Buraka Som Sistema- Black Diamond
Again with the white-kid dance music. These guys are from Portugal (I worked a lot with Brazilians over the last year, so my taste for things Portugese was awakened), and are just highly energetic and fun. Seeing them do it live also helped my appreciation for them, they were a live electronic band with live drums (two guys, in fact, one on kit and one on percussion), instead of the usual "guy-with sampler-deck" set up you usually see. The percussion definitely made them a dynamic live band as well as a great band on CD.

The Tragically Hip- We Are The Same
I've pretty much bought everything by these guys. Possibly one of the finest rock bands I have ever seen play, and their last couple of records have been outstanding. Produced my Bob Rock (of Metallica fame), this one and the last have a very rich sound and share more in common with their live sound than anything they've done previous. "We Are The Same" explores a little more of the country and Americana side of the band (the last one was straight-up stadium rock), and Gord Downie's lyrics are still as arresting and unique as they were when I first heard "Ahead By A Century" back in 1996. If you like awesome, awesome rock, you need to get anything by this band.

Mastodon- Crack The Skye

Josh and I have been absolutely nuts about this record for the last several weeks. Mastodon gets the label "the metal band for people who don't think they like metal", and it often gets said with a bit of a sneer. What on Earth is wrong with being what I like to call a "gateway band"? If this record gets a bunch of people to explore Mastodon's back catalog, and maybe Neurosis (their singer appears on just about every Mastodon record) and a few others, what the hell is wrong with that? Even James likes this one, and James normally makes faces at just about any metal Josh and I put on in the car. The sneers about Mastodon remind me of the sneers thrown Metallica's way back in the day. The only difference is that Metallica wishes it was/could ever be as good as Mastodon. And now... let the hate mail commence.

Bat for Lashes- Two Suns

My love for artists like Kate Bush, Beth Orton, Bjork, PJ Harvey etc., is nothing short of endless. And I'm really digging Natasha Khan's project, Bat For Lashes. There's something about ornate studio production and soulful vocals that just does it for me. This record is so dense with great arrangements (another one of my major musical turn-ons), it's both highly relaxing and highly energizing. I find myself remarking out loud "Wow, THAT works well!" to my speakers when this record is on.

Next week, I think I'll give my list "Top Musical Crimes Perpetuated In The Name of 'Alternative' In The 90s". It may be a multiple week thing, I can think of A LOT of "crimes".

-Dan

One Hill of a Weekend

I wasn't sure which headline would get a bigger groan, "Happy Monday" (again), or the awful pun I decided on. You tell me.

This weekend I finished the first leg of my Journey to the End of the Philadelphia Metro Area. By that, I mean I'm going to travel to the terminus of each of SEPTA's regional rail lines, and explore its surrounding town. The idea came from my grandparents, who often remind me that if you don't have a lot of money to travel to exotic places, there are plenty of things to see in your own backyard. Luckily, riding to the end of each line is free on the weekends with my Zone 1 trailpass. The first stop was Chestnut Hill, which is the closest station to my Germantown home.

Chestnut Hill has long been a tourist destination for locals and visitors, and is the home to many historic and architecturally significant buildings, as well as a lot of cool shops and restaurants. I decided to investigate a local bookstore/cafe called "Borders". They have a nice collection of books, and the cafe makes a mean strawberry Fruitkula.

After working on my laptop for a while, I took a walk down the famous, cobblestoned Germantown Avenue, stopping to photograph some of the unique local establishments. The weather was perfect, so I was very happy strolling down the hill, taking in the sights, and listening to Denison Witmer's song, "Chestnut Hill". But I soon tired of walking and decided to board one of Chestnut Hill's historic trolleys, which didn't look how I expected, apparently because of this.

It was a fun trip, and I look forward to next time, when I'll visit the other end of the R7 in Trenton, NJ. Anyone know any fun places to visit while I'm there?

- Nick

Sunday Roundup

Pretty slow week here in the big-haired member of the Sobriquets' world... work, sleep, work, sleep, pet the cat,
work some more. No vacation to sunny California for me; just sunny, mid 60 degree Philadelphia. Poor me.

We're all pretty broken up about Harry Kalas; as a transplant to Philadelphia in the last decade, I wasn't raised on the golden tones of Harry K, but he quickly became my stress reducer of choice (especially when paired with a cold beer and a Ryan Howard strike out or two) during the warmer parts of the year. He passed away this week in the booth while preparing for Monday's afternoon game against the Nationals; I suppose it's the broadcaster's equivalent of "dying with ones boots on." Harry has been eulogized in many places by many people more eloquent than I, so I'll just give my thanks that he went out with a World Series win and that a part of Philadelphia's soul is Outta Here.

Ryan Howard, on the other hand, is hitting .341 at the moment, and has played in eleven games. Usually at this time of the year, he's at about .115... this is pleasantly disconcerting. He also apparently legged out a triple today. Wonders may never cease.

Beyond that, I'm just waiting til Dan gets back from LA with the final masters... he tells me it sounds like an early Hip record.

Gonna go get dinner now.

Loves and Kisses,

J