CDs and songs - the sequel

April 27th, 2007

G’day mates,

I’ve been busy writing new songs and thinking my head off trying to figure out what to do to improve the old ones. Rearranging old songs is quite difficult, since I am so used to the way they are. After all, we’ve been playing all the songs for quite a while now. Basically all major changes sound crappy, so I guess we should bring in a few extra pairs of ears. We have started planning our next demo, but we still don’t know what songs to put on it, with whom we should make it, and where and when. This time we are probably going to use outside help, I mean production-wise. But we will inform you as soon as we get some decisions done. Hopefully we will have it out by the end of this year.

To the CDs then, as I wrote a few weeks ago, I bought a pile of CDs. Actually I have bought new ones after that. I was going to order Further Seems Forever’s “How to Start a Fire”, but decided to check a net auction site just in case. And what do you know, there was a copy of the CD located in Turku, so I contacted the seller and bought the album the same day. Actually the seller convinced me to buy a few other CDs too, they were so cheap that I couldn’t resist. I’ll sell them forward if I don’t like them, so no harm done there. Besides those three records, I have a few records on order. I’m really looking forward to hearing Stanley’s debut album, though the first single “Halo” is not as catchy as the previous “Roads/Tides”-single was. “Halo” is in no way a bad song, but “Tides” was and still is such a great song, that it’s hard to top that. In addition to Stanley, I have Saosin’s and Mae’s debut albums waiting for me. I’m sick, I know. But there are - as Cmndt. Eric Lassard would say - many, many, many more stupid ways to spend money than on music. Actually, I think music is one of the best things to spend money on.

I haven’t had the time to really listen and concentrate to all the albums I bought recently, but the ones I have, are good. Especially Jimmy Eat World’s “Futures”, All Time Low’s “Put Up or Shut Up”, The Myriad’s “You Can’t Trust a Ladder”, Quietdrive’s “When All That’s Left Is You” and The Used’s “In Love and Death”, which was on my list of albums-to-buy. I won’t list all the albums here, since it would be a too long and boring list to read. Jimmy Eat World and The Used are probably known to many, and I too knew them before buying the records, so it came as no surprise that the albums were great. Quietdrive is quite basic pop/rock, good melodies, nothing original but enjoyable. All Time Low is punk pop, a bit like Blink182 was in its best moments (Enema of the State/Take Off Your Pants and Jacket -era). The Myriad is maybe a bit like old Muse meets new Thrice -kinda style. Check it out if you’re into those bands. Fall Out Boy’s “Infinity on High” didn’t convince me on the first listening, but I trust it will open up when I have the time to really listen to the music.

Hmm, what more… oh yeah, me and Jouni had a little jam session a few days ago. We left the rehearsal space around 3 A.M. so you can imagine how tired we were the next day… Jouni had this weird riff, so I tried to build a beat to fit the riff. I ain’t much of a drummer, but I managed to come up with something that at least I think fits the song. Then we did a verse, a bridge and a chorus (we actually did multiple chorusses, but most of them sucked). It has a working title “Von Hertzen Brothers” so you can guess the style of the song by that only. It has three different time signatures in it; 8/8, 7/8 and 6/8. One could assume that the song would be confusing, but it is actually not, I’m even surprised myself that it is not the case. We will still have to come up with a few new parts to make the song ready, I actually have a few suggestions, but I don’t know if Jouni will approve them… The song will probably never be an Ever Since The Day -song, but maybe we’ll put it up on our website anyway, just for fun. This wasn’t a promise though. We’ll see how the song ends up.

As you know, we have a gig at S-Osis on the 3rd of May. Jermaine was supposed to play there too, but unfortunately they had to cancel. It was a shame, ’cause I really would’ve liked to see them. The last time they were in Turku, we had our own show, so obviously I couldn’t go to see them live. But I trust they will come to Turku again so, there is still some hope left. But anyway, it is going to be a great night even without Jermaine, all the bands are energetic performers, so you should definitely come and see the show.

It’s always a shame to be playing somewhere on the same day that you wished to be listening to some other band. I was really bummed when I noticed that 30 Seconds To Mars is coming to Sweden, and we obviously have our own show the next day, so there’s no way I’ll be able to go to Stockholm. Shit happens.

T-t-t-t-that’s all folks!

-Kari