It’s got that exciting feel to it when the new year rolls around doesn’t it?
Like a new record. Anything could happen. What’s it gonna sound like?! Look at that cover!!
Just drop the needle and the pops and clicks build the anticipation of the groove to follow.
Anita and I have recorded & released an album a year since 2005, and this year won’t be any different. We write (almost) daily & have been amassing a great collection of tunes that we’re excited to share with y’all. Here’s to 2012 – with all it’s leap year counting, year of the dragon, election year madness, mayan hoo-ha and…of course, new music!
Thanks for all the year end well wishes. We’ve turned a new page didn’t we? Maybe even a whole new chapter begins?
Just wanted to take this time, right out of the gate, to say thanks for paying attention to the music we make. Hope to be singing along with you this year, dear friends. Til then, I’ll leave you with the most bizarre album cover ( or cool? jury’s still out), I’ve come across in a long while:
The message? Ain’t no livin’ in a garbage can!
Or maybe Balki from ‘Perfect Strangers’ wound up living rough? Poor cuzzin.
Take care web traveler – live your life and live it well.
cheers – Kevin
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ON THE PLAYER:
** In the lab at the moment. Not really going deep on other folks tunes while we cook up our own. Why don’t you reply & let me know what your favorite discovery of 2011 was? Something I can look fwd to diving into? 
Someone just bumped natures arm on the cross-fade mix into winter. It’s freezing! We just sorta got there like the ramp up guitar solo in “Beat It” off Thriller, didn’t we? Y’know the one that comes after the door knocks?
So hey,…got a guitar? Wanna learn Viva licks? I have good news:
Guitar World Magazine has an iPhone & iPad app called Lick Of The Day – and if you have this sucker installed, you can watch Anita explain how she rocks our riffs. It’s actually pretty incredible. You can slow it down to learn the riffs better if need be – they really did a bang up job.
The first – in a series of Viva licks – is the main riff to “Black Mood Ring” off our new jam.
Check it out if you wanna shred like Anita.
Keeping an eye on you Zakk Wyld!!
(Anita tuning up at G.World headquarters)
So we’re home for the winter. Bunkering down cooking up all kinds of new tasty jams. Winter time in Portland means that there’s a monochromatic sky, the fog pours through the forests like pea soup and some new tune is being recorded. A fun, albeit cold and busy, time of year for me in the studio.
We’re playing one last show in December here in PDX. Live!Wire, it’s pretty cool. Check it out if yr dressed warm enough and feel brave. Thanks for stopping in – I’ll leave you with one of my favorite jams, rediscovered this foggy cold afternoon.
Cheers – k
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ON THE PLAYER:
1. That sick record up above! Sick!!
2. ELO – New World Record
3. jDilla – Jay Stay Paid
4. Fela Kuti – Expensive Sh*t
5. Kim Carnes – Mistaken Identity
I sat down to type a web appropriate 140 or 420 character update and would up writing a 5k word essay. Oh well.
Maybe I’ll post it as a .pdf download?
Regardless, we’re getting our keel evened out post tour & just wanted to say hi & hope all is well with you and yours.
cheers – k
This certainly has been our favorite Portland summer. Just epic on all fronts!
We leave for tour this Friday with a full van (we’re carpooling w/ the Parsons!), a full tank & full hearts. A great send off!
Last weekend we had the pleasure of singing at our dear friends wedding. Which was a first for us! Truly a summer of love!
(pic by Jillian Doughty)
VIVA VOCE / PARSON RED HEADS TOUR 2011:
Folks, words can’t describe our excitement about this tour. It’s been a long time coming. All of the tour dates are listed on the widget to the right. Ticket links should be active & you can always get to it via our Facebook page. (stay far, far away from mySpace – we hate that website & never use it). Needless to say – but I’ll say it again, we’re pumped & look fwd to reconnecting with you all.
PORTLAND HOLMES:
Our first show will be in Portland, this Thursday @ the Crystall Ballroom for MFNW. Here’s link to the show – hope to see you there pdx!
As we head out on the road, we’re wired to the teeth (unless y’know, we’re driving), so hit us up via our:
Twitter
Facebook
…we try to hang out there.
Speaking of which – we have over a few thousand folks connecting with us via these web portals. We opened the door this past year to start this conversation up with you all & to date (knock wood), I haven’t had to ban a single one of you crazy people. So, I just wanted to say thanks for playing nice. As long as we keep this up, we can keep the dialog rolling. Which is fun!
Alright – lot’s to button up before we hit the road, so I’ll leave you with this – the “throniest” record cover I’ve come across today:
Take care web traveler, hope to see you soon!
xo – k
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ON THE PLAYER:
1. Led Zepplin – Houses Of The Holy
2. Eddie Grant – Killer On The Rampage
3. The Power Station – s/t
4. Sly & Family Stone – High On You
5. Big Star – #1 Record / Radio City
Tour is upon us. The summer is in it’s final stages & we’re already neck deep in prep for fall / winter, and the planning of how best to tour this Mayan 2012 apocalypse. I mean, come hell or high water, bands are gonna play right? Right.
OUR RECORD CRAZY CHEAP:
Lots happening in our realm – but today the good news is that Amazon.com has our new record for the deal of the day, so if you’ve been putting it off – here’s a great sale. I believe it only lasts for today (Wednesday), so here’s yer shot.
THANKS TIMBERS:
Gratitude to kind Joanna in the Portland Timbers Army crew for recording this rad rendition of a full stadium of soccer fans chanting one of our tunes. It’s honestly a first for us. I can only tell you there’s some serious Floyd style jam that awaits this sound clip. Cheers you guys!
We’ve got last minute homebody stuff to wrap up before we hit the road, so it’s short & sweet today. Here’s the coolest record cover I’ve come across today,..be safe! – k
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ON THE PLAYER:
1. Echo & The Bunnymen – Ocean Rain
2. The Church – Gold Afternoon Fix
3. David Bowie – Let’s Dance
4. Modern English – After The Snow
5. The Cure – Disintegration
Mega-bummer Sawtooth! The festival got rained out. We were really sad, but glad everyone was safe. We’ll be through Boise on 9/10, so maybe we’ll see you guys there?
TAPE OP:
The newest issue of Tape Op Magazine has a tell all expose of Anita and I in the studio. Mr. Crane showed up to interview us when we were neck deep in tracking & mixing the new record, so it’s a fun and interesting read. If your into that sort of thing. We’ve been fans & advocates of the magazine for years and it’s an honor to be featured. thanks ya’ll!
PORTLAND TIMBERS:
Hey Timbers Army – thanks for using our tune “Rose City” in your soccer teams chant! We’re flattered & hope every time the players hear it they get the eye of the tiger. Right on ya’ll.
We just got back from driving three days to play a festival that got rained out, so while we’re getting our keel evened out – I’ll leave you with the coolest album cover I’ve seen today.
Take care web traveler. We’ll be seeing you round. – k
P.S.
Welcome to the fold new Spotify listeners!
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ON THE PLAYER:
1. Marty Robbins – Gunfighter Ballads & Trail Songs
2. Crock – s/t
3. Flatt & Scruggs – Final Fling
4. Shabazz Palaces – Black Up
5. Curtis Mayfield – Curtis!
Our new record is on sale!
For you penny pinchers out there, wanted to let you know our record is for sale for $5 – five bucks (cheap, like Mad Magazine) for the month of July at Amazon.com. It’s probably not going any lower, cheapskate, so unless you plan on stealing it, here’s your chance! Go for it!
TOUR MATES:
Our first headline tour supporting the new record just went up a peg on the awesome-o’ meter.
We like to take out some Portland flavor with us when we go out on the road, & we’re pumped to announce that we’ll be taking The Parson Redheads out with us this fall tour!
They’re an amazing group of folks & we’re excited we get to hear them play music for a month & change.
All of the dates are posted on the widget to the right over yon, or you can double up on our Facebook page. The PRH’s are with us on every date. Brace for radness.
GUITAR WORLD:
I’d meant to attach this pic below that went with the Guitar World interview with Anita. Better late than never. It makes me happy & proud that axe players are paying attention to Anita’s flavor – I’ve always thought she was pretty exceptional on that thing.
Take care web traveller! – k
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ON THE PLAYER:
1. Old & In The Way – Breakdown
2. Mott The Hoople – All The Young Dudes
3. Steppenwolf – Monster
4. Octopus – Restless Night
5. Poets Of Rhythm – Discern / Define
Guitar World Magazine did a great write up, and interview with me that turned out great, check it out!
Thanks for reading! ~A
Hey friends,
We conceived this record – it’s title, songs, cover art, etc.. – back in December of last year.
Tsunamis, Libyian wars, devastating weather and all the otherwise awful things had yet to happen.
I keep up as best I can with world events, and it strikes me that our new record is proving bizarrely prophetic.
It was intended to be a gentle warning.
Until we love one another regardless if they live, breathe, talk, vote or pray like we do - and value every human life (even those outside our own borders) above any other commodity that can be bought, sold, or traded – we’re never going to truly evolve much past shit-flinging monkeys on the graph of progression.
I – for one – think we can do better & should quit looking to others for the answer.
Anyhow – it just struck me to post this. The future will be what we make it right now.
Love you guys.
- k
Probably the best / most insane release week we’ve ever had. Thanks for opening the dam.
Funny,…I just read an interview with Morrisey where he stated that artists who’ve been around more than 10 years just aren’t relevant anymore. Maybe in his world? Certainly not in ours.
You all have proven otherwise.
Photo by: Sarah Jurado
We’re getting back in the saddle after a stellar week. Thanks again for opening up the flood gates. – k
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ON THE PLAYER:
1. Ralph Stanley – Classics
2. Nazareth – Hair Of The Dog
3. Ace Frehley – s/t (’78)
4. J.Dilla – Jay Stay Paid
5. Morrisey – Vauxhall And I
