Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Justin Stens of Dr Dog Fame needs your help!

An old friend from Dr. Dog, Justin Stens, is trying to make a record by traveling on his motorcycle across the country and recording with a few of his famous friends. Our dear friend Drew is also a long for the ride to document the whole thing (we at Static are very proud to be supporting this doc as well on many levels). However, they have hit some road bumps along the way, as I am sure many of us have in these financial times, and they are looking for a little help to finish this project. Here is there message:

Hi friends,

This August I embarked on my most creative and ambitious project yet. I have been riding my motorcycle across the US visiting friends/musicians for a few days at a time to co-write and record one song at each stop using only the gear/instruments that are available, ultimately creating an album. I have been collaborating with some of my favorite song writers and musicians and meeting more along the way. I left Philadelphia with a batch of tunes in my head, but I have discovered new things at each step of the journey and continue to write new songs as I go.

I travel on my 1972 Triumph motorcycle and have been accompanied by a small documentary film crew led by Drew Stubbs to capture this writing/recording process as well as a rare American road trip.

This is more than just an album, it's an interesting journey and a sonic and visual documentation of an experiment in collaboration, including a network of talented musicians spanning the continent...
So far I have visited and recorded with:

Do send any help if you can. I mean IT IS the holidays and all!
Cambridge,MA - DRUG RUG, Sue Bell, Jesse Gallagher of APOLLO SUNSHINE
Harrisburg,PA - Rebecca Marie Miller of MYNABIRDS
Akron,OH - JESSICA LEA Mayfield, Bob Cesare
Chicago,IL - John Stirrat of WILCO / AUTUMN DEFENSE
Nashville,TN - DAVID VANDERVELDE, Courtney Jaye
Murfreesboro,TN - THOSE DARLINS
Black Mt., NC - FLOATING ACTION
New Orleans, LA - GENERATIONALS, Julie Odell of GIANT CLOUD
Lafayette,LA - BRASS BED
SanAntonio, TX - HACIENDA / HAWKS of holy rosary
Austin, TX - Bill Baird of SUNSET / Jim Eno of SPOON
December:
Tucson, AZ - BRADFORD TROJAN
Long Beach, CA - DELTA SPIRIT
Santa Barbara, CA - GARDENS AND VILLA
SanFrancisco, CA - Jeremy Black of APOLLO SUNSHINE

I am excited and grateful to have the opportunity to work with so many talented musicians. Please look them up to have a listen to their work. In conjunction with the release of this album, Drew Stubbs plans to screen the finished documentary in the Spring of 2012 at music and film festivals. I have been working hard all year planning and saving up for an adventure like this and I will match all donations up to $5000 to ensure a safe and happy trip. This is an independently funded project and is not financially backed or associated with any record label. ( yet ) Your donations will be used to help with the post production of documentary, video equipment rental, editing, promotion/publicity efforts, and emergency motorcycle repair, final mix and mastering of album, and to help me get home by the holidays.

I invite you to take part and give a helpful hand in something that has never been done before. I know it's not a moon landing or climbing Mt.Everest but I think it's a pretty special project and I have invested my heart and soul.

Please spread the word to friends and music lovers and please come along for the ride.

Kickstarter link:

Do send any help if you can. I mean IT IS the holidays and all!

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

October 2011 Playlist

Hey y'all. Once again I have left you in the dark as far as posts and shows. No more appoliogies, just content.
I feel like I might have been in a more soulful mood then usual. This song is a great way to start any playlist.
In the class of Jamie Lidell where you scratch your head and say, is that voice really coming out of his mouth? Really love this album.
Sexy and danceable. Totally a more mature look at that Rebecca Black song.
This album brings me back to the early 2000s. So much to love about this album. It sets a tone and mood better than most works I have heard this year.
So happy to have her voice back in my life. This album is a lot less poppy and more rocking than her highly succesful sopmore work, The Reminder. Don't let that scare you off from it though. There is a lot of heart and emotion that went into this record and it resinates throughout.
Love these guys, probably too much. I have a feeling many a person sitting next to me on the train would appreciate me turn down their tracks.
It seemed like all their work was trending this month on my Rdio page. Very 80s and very rocking.
Now, how could I go a month without one rap song on the playlist? I love the beats that rappers are using these days. This is by far my favorite track on the album, though the whole album has a lot of solid tunes and many are surprising uplifting.

I didn't have time to make a Spotify version of this playlist this month, but here is the Rdio playlist for those who dabble in that.