Thursday, January 07, 2010
Living in the Past
Found this tape while digging around for some old MDID stuff, and thought, why not? Nobody else is gonna post this stuff. Riot Architecture, 1984. The songs had no titles, mostly because the songs had no lyrics. This band was one great singer away from fame and fortune. Tim's "helicopter guitar" in this one was a showstopper in the few actual shows we played.
Track 11
And here's an MDID track from the PLM sessions that was never used... mostly because of the riff similarity (realized in hindsight) to a Sex Pistols song...along with the weird dropout halfway through..
No Future
Track 11
And here's an MDID track from the PLM sessions that was never used... mostly because of the riff similarity (realized in hindsight) to a Sex Pistols song...along with the weird dropout halfway through..
No Future
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Less cranky
Jonathan has some good suggestions in the comments, some we have already incorporated. We've definitely had more success with blogs writing about the band, but most of the posts focus on the "glory" i.e. Homestead days, and sometimes blog writers, free spirits as they are, frown on "hey look at me" emails, if they even publish contact info.
I think it doesn't work to our advantage that most of our notoriety such as it was occurred in pre-internet days. I think by default we have been connecting more and more directly with folks over the last few years. Much of that is by necessity for the fans who really like the music enough to pursue it though, and keep checking in during long periods of inactivity. The internet age has opened up a lot of doors, but not everyone has time to look behind all those doors to find one little CD by a band they liked once upon a time.
I mainly just meant to comment on how inffective the "traditional" promotional routes are these days for a band that hasn't passed the Pitchfork test. There's certainly nothing wrong with option B below, which is the most likely future course for the band.
Having my music roots in pre-internet times is what also has me resistant to giving up the physical medium, i.e. CD. Obviously the costs go down by a factor of 5 if the physical medium is discarded. It's not that cost has been that much of an issue recently. I'm lucky that at the moment my well-being is not threatened by a 5-7k annual loss on band activities, like it seriously was in the late 80's and early 90's. But I do feel bad for those who would feel that pinch more severely.
I have no illusions or desires for widespread success of MDID. After 25 years and 13 records, I am capable of learning!. I recognize that in the heirarchy of things that matter, whether or not MDID goes on is not going to make a huge difference in too many people's lives. I also recognize that if I want to make more people aware of the fact that I still write songs, songs that maybe they might appreciate hearing, I have to work harder at making and keeping connections, posting things more regularly, writing more music more often, taking more chances with live shows. I think I just need to decide whether it matters enough to me to keep doing all those things...
I think it doesn't work to our advantage that most of our notoriety such as it was occurred in pre-internet days. I think by default we have been connecting more and more directly with folks over the last few years. Much of that is by necessity for the fans who really like the music enough to pursue it though, and keep checking in during long periods of inactivity. The internet age has opened up a lot of doors, but not everyone has time to look behind all those doors to find one little CD by a band they liked once upon a time.
I mainly just meant to comment on how inffective the "traditional" promotional routes are these days for a band that hasn't passed the Pitchfork test. There's certainly nothing wrong with option B below, which is the most likely future course for the band.
Having my music roots in pre-internet times is what also has me resistant to giving up the physical medium, i.e. CD. Obviously the costs go down by a factor of 5 if the physical medium is discarded. It's not that cost has been that much of an issue recently. I'm lucky that at the moment my well-being is not threatened by a 5-7k annual loss on band activities, like it seriously was in the late 80's and early 90's. But I do feel bad for those who would feel that pinch more severely.
I have no illusions or desires for widespread success of MDID. After 25 years and 13 records, I am capable of learning!. I recognize that in the heirarchy of things that matter, whether or not MDID goes on is not going to make a huge difference in too many people's lives. I also recognize that if I want to make more people aware of the fact that I still write songs, songs that maybe they might appreciate hearing, I have to work harder at making and keeping connections, posting things more regularly, writing more music more often, taking more chances with live shows. I think I just need to decide whether it matters enough to me to keep doing all those things...
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Cranky
2 months and 200 promos later and the result is a literal handful of reviews and maybe 25 stations having played the record once or twice, along with a few copies for sale on E-bay, complete with the one sheet.
Seriously, doesn't seem to be a point these days trying to self "promote" anything. Things from an "industry" perspective are worse off now than they were 25 years ago for the individual in that regard. At least in the 80's you could send out a hundred "press promos" and actually get back 25 or 30 reviews. Now, as it was prior to the "indie rock" revolution, there's only a few major players that drive the hot or not bus. Only now they are online rather than in print. I've got some thinking to do over the next year about whether it even makes sense to manufacture anything anymore. It's the old tree falling in the forest thing.. I still happen to think the last 2 records were very good records.. but only a couple hundred people even know they exist, and I'm pretty sure the boxes of both I have in the closet will outlive me.
So what's next? The choices seem to be
a) start a new band
b) keep MDID going only for my own amusement and a small circle of friends and dedicated fans, forgetting about putting out CD's and playing live.
c) pack it in finally and sell all my shit,
You can probably tell from the tone of my post which one I'm leaning towards today.
Seriously, doesn't seem to be a point these days trying to self "promote" anything. Things from an "industry" perspective are worse off now than they were 25 years ago for the individual in that regard. At least in the 80's you could send out a hundred "press promos" and actually get back 25 or 30 reviews. Now, as it was prior to the "indie rock" revolution, there's only a few major players that drive the hot or not bus. Only now they are online rather than in print. I've got some thinking to do over the next year about whether it even makes sense to manufacture anything anymore. It's the old tree falling in the forest thing.. I still happen to think the last 2 records were very good records.. but only a couple hundred people even know they exist, and I'm pretty sure the boxes of both I have in the closet will outlive me.
So what's next? The choices seem to be
a) start a new band
b) keep MDID going only for my own amusement and a small circle of friends and dedicated fans, forgetting about putting out CD's and playing live.
c) pack it in finally and sell all my shit,
You can probably tell from the tone of my post which one I'm leaning towards today.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
THANKS
Among many of the things I have to be thankful for are the few hundred dedicated fans who keep coming back, even after years of waiting for some new music. You all are the best, the reason I keep recording despite the general lack of interest from the world at large. So for you folks, a special little Thanksgiving treat in the form of a digital only EP.. This contains 2 non-LP tracks from the New Clear Route sessions. Here to Stay, a love song to the #1 person I have to be thankful for, my loving and patient wife Jeanne. Sanity On the Run - a hate song for all those over the last decade who've thought the abandonment of the very principles that supposedly make the U.S.a human rights example for the rest of the world was the right thing to do, and third, a blast from the past.. Our version of one of my very favorite VU songs, recorded live in Bremen Germany in 1989.
There is a little trick to the treat though. To get the link for the EP, look on the underside of your A New Clear Route CD. Right after the "replicated by" acknowledgement, there's a 7 digit alphanumeric code. The link to the EP is http://www.mydadisdead.com/code.: , where you would replace the word "code" with the 7 digit code you find near the center of the underside of the CD. Hint: All alpha characters should be in CAPS. If you've bought the CD from a digital vendor, email me at the link on the left for the code.
Stay tuned for more plans for free stuff for the upcoming 25th year MDID anniversary celebration, including a "re-envisioning" of the very first LP, more rarities and live stuff, along with other plans in the works.
There is a little trick to the treat though. To get the link for the EP, look on the underside of your A New Clear Route CD. Right after the "replicated by" acknowledgement, there's a 7 digit alphanumeric code. The link to the EP is http://www.mydadisdead.com/code.: , where you would replace the word "code" with the 7 digit code you find near the center of the underside of the CD. Hint: All alpha characters should be in CAPS. If you've bought the CD from a digital vendor, email me at the link on the left for the code.
Stay tuned for more plans for free stuff for the upcoming 25th year MDID anniversary celebration, including a "re-envisioning" of the very first LP, more rarities and live stuff, along with other plans in the works.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
To the virtual world...
The new CD is available now 0n I-Tunes, E-Music and other MP3 download providers..
After nearly 4 weeks, finally feeling about 90% of normal.. voice still sounds slightly damaged, but coming back.. So sorry to have missed the Ohio shows at the end of October.
After nearly 4 weeks, finally feeling about 90% of normal.. voice still sounds slightly damaged, but coming back.. So sorry to have missed the Ohio shows at the end of October.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
A New Clear Route Release Date
So the release date is going to officially be October 15. J is finishing up the artwork and should get everything off to the plant by next week so we should have the CD's in hand by the end of Sept. You can check out a preview of half the LP at the MDID radio link on the main page. (or just click here) .
Already have some new tunes in the works, so hopefully there won't be a 4 year gap on the next one!. Still not sure how I managed to put out a record a year (and sometimes 2!) back in the 80's and early 90's.
Here's a quick quiz for all of you.. We've toyed with the idea of making a vinyl version of this release, but it's ridiculously expensive to make... how many of you would be willing to pay in the neighborhood of $20 for a vinyl copy?
Already have some new tunes in the works, so hopefully there won't be a 4 year gap on the next one!. Still not sure how I managed to put out a record a year (and sometimes 2!) back in the 80's and early 90's.
Here's a quick quiz for all of you.. We've toyed with the idea of making a vinyl version of this release, but it's ridiculously expensive to make... how many of you would be willing to pay in the neighborhood of $20 for a vinyl copy?
Sunday, June 07, 2009
Updates
Ok.. by now a lot of you are probably wondering what's going on with that new record I previewed on MySpace a few months ago..., so I thought it's time for an update. Basically we've been in a "Polvo delay" the last few months.
I hear the new stuff they're doing is incredible, at least in terms of composition and setting new records in multi-tracking, but as a result it's taking far longer to complete than was first anticipated, pushing Mr. Paulson's schedule further and further behind and thereby pushing the finishing of the MDID record to the back burner. I'm hearing that the tarp may be coming off soon and hopefully we can get our little thing finished by the end of June, which probably puts us on track for an October/November release date. (there's the mastering, manufacturing, cover prep, promotional work etc all to be done before the thing can actually "come out" ), Plus there's at least a 4 month delay in getting it on I-Tunes etc.
In the meantime I've been doing some home re-recording of a few songs from the very first record, with an eye towards a 25th anniversary remake of that LP. Haven't decided yet if I'll actually sell it or just make it available online for anyone who wants it.
By they way, you can hear one of the remade songs, "The Quiet Man" on the new Pox World Empire Compulation III CD.
The new Star Trek movie? Meh, it was entertaining enough, with all it's little winks and nods to the old TV series, but it just didn't give me the impression of a lasting re-boot for the franchise. Besides, I couldn't get past seeing the evil Siler from Heroes every time the new Mr. Spock came on screen.
The local "art house" theaters (2 out of the 3 remaining screens in Chapel Hill that play "indie" movies") are currently up for sale with the owners being coy about whether they have potential buyers. My favorite video rental chain (Visart) has closed 2 out of it's 3 local locations, leaving only Carrboro open. The owners blame Youtube, Hulu, Netflix, Widescreen HDTV, and the rise of cable company "on demand" movies for drastic dropoffs in movie tickets and video rentals. (Yes, we are guilty of contributing, The ease of selecting an HD movie for the same price you paid at the video store without the whole "late fees" thing, which I invariably ended up incurring, was just too convenient.) We tried to make up for it a bit this past week by driving (well Jeanne drove) to the Carrboro store and renting the first 3 seasons of Weeds, which we watched all in the space of about a week and a half. Mildly entertaining ensemble show that tries to be "shocking" and funny but there's a bit to much suburban desperation and not enough laughs. I found it hard to sympathize with the drug dealing MILF lead character, and never being a regular pot smoker, didn't pick up on all the winky wacky weed references. This is definitely one of these that's better to watch several in a row.. not sure if it would hold up for me as a weekly half hour.
Anyway all these closings are just another reminder that it's a changing world out there for the creators and producers of all entertainment "products" , not just music. I think I know now how folks must have felt in the 50's as television gradually replaced radio as the home entertainment of choice. My dad was a casualty of that, being forced out of his job as a radio engineer in the 50's. He actually took to repairing TV's for awhile (he was a man who could change with the times!, but when tubes were replaced with solid state condensers, technology won it's battle over him and he got out of the "entertainment" business altogether.)
Unfotunately my business requires me to work in front of a computer all day long so I'm not eager to have computer delivered content also dominate my leisure time.
I'll miss the dusty video store even more then the musty theaters, both of which suffered from a bit of a lack of, shall we say, "modernization"
Oh, and by the way, get off my lawn.
I hear the new stuff they're doing is incredible, at least in terms of composition and setting new records in multi-tracking, but as a result it's taking far longer to complete than was first anticipated, pushing Mr. Paulson's schedule further and further behind and thereby pushing the finishing of the MDID record to the back burner. I'm hearing that the tarp may be coming off soon and hopefully we can get our little thing finished by the end of June, which probably puts us on track for an October/November release date. (there's the mastering, manufacturing, cover prep, promotional work etc all to be done before the thing can actually "come out" ), Plus there's at least a 4 month delay in getting it on I-Tunes etc.
In the meantime I've been doing some home re-recording of a few songs from the very first record, with an eye towards a 25th anniversary remake of that LP. Haven't decided yet if I'll actually sell it or just make it available online for anyone who wants it.
By they way, you can hear one of the remade songs, "The Quiet Man" on the new Pox World Empire Compulation III CD.
The new Star Trek movie? Meh, it was entertaining enough, with all it's little winks and nods to the old TV series, but it just didn't give me the impression of a lasting re-boot for the franchise. Besides, I couldn't get past seeing the evil Siler from Heroes every time the new Mr. Spock came on screen.
The local "art house" theaters (2 out of the 3 remaining screens in Chapel Hill that play "indie" movies") are currently up for sale with the owners being coy about whether they have potential buyers. My favorite video rental chain (Visart) has closed 2 out of it's 3 local locations, leaving only Carrboro open. The owners blame Youtube, Hulu, Netflix, Widescreen HDTV, and the rise of cable company "on demand" movies for drastic dropoffs in movie tickets and video rentals. (Yes, we are guilty of contributing, The ease of selecting an HD movie for the same price you paid at the video store without the whole "late fees" thing, which I invariably ended up incurring, was just too convenient.) We tried to make up for it a bit this past week by driving (well Jeanne drove) to the Carrboro store and renting the first 3 seasons of Weeds, which we watched all in the space of about a week and a half. Mildly entertaining ensemble show that tries to be "shocking" and funny but there's a bit to much suburban desperation and not enough laughs. I found it hard to sympathize with the drug dealing MILF lead character, and never being a regular pot smoker, didn't pick up on all the winky wacky weed references. This is definitely one of these that's better to watch several in a row.. not sure if it would hold up for me as a weekly half hour.
Anyway all these closings are just another reminder that it's a changing world out there for the creators and producers of all entertainment "products" , not just music. I think I know now how folks must have felt in the 50's as television gradually replaced radio as the home entertainment of choice. My dad was a casualty of that, being forced out of his job as a radio engineer in the 50's. He actually took to repairing TV's for awhile (he was a man who could change with the times!, but when tubes were replaced with solid state condensers, technology won it's battle over him and he got out of the "entertainment" business altogether.)
Unfotunately my business requires me to work in front of a computer all day long so I'm not eager to have computer delivered content also dominate my leisure time.
I'll miss the dusty video store even more then the musty theaters, both of which suffered from a bit of a lack of, shall we say, "modernization"
Oh, and by the way, get off my lawn.
