Doghouse Records?

I remember Doghouse Records; I remember them well as the label released some of my favorite records back in the day: Threadbare's Feeling Older Faster and Midas, Cable's Variable Speed Drive, and the Endpoint albums (If the Spirits Are Willing, Caste, Aftertaste, the Last Record, etc). Hell, Split Lip (Endpoint JR.?) was also on the label. Later the label was responsible for releasing albums from the criminally underrated As Friends Rust; the self titled EP, Won, and an early retrospective An Anthology of Short Fiction And Non-Fiction.

I guess the release of pop garbage like All American Rejects should have clued us all in what the label really was headed for down the road.

Well, the David Moore album is the final nail in the coffin. I know that the label released records in the past with him (see Split Lip and their eventual emo pop garbage evolution into Chamberlain), but that does not mean every record the guy does should be released. His solo album, My Lover, My Stranger is the absolute worst pop tripe. It is so slick sounding and just the type of garbage you would see on VH1.

Well Doghouse, welcome to the land of adult contemporary music...you deserve it.

You should give back all your old albums to their artists because I would be embarrassed to have released anything with you.

Song Writing

Have you ever hit what you think is a turning point in your song writing?

I think that Gholas did just this past Saturday. We wrote a moody damn song that seemingly is what my brother and I have been going for composition wise since we started writing together again. It is not often that I listen to my own songs over and over again, but I genuinely love this song. It is one of the ones that I am most proud of at this point.

I cannot wait to record this in a studio.

Gholas show highlights

OK, so yes this is a little late, but I wanted to mention the show that Gholas played with Battlefields (from the Dakotas area) and Overmars (from France) and Hulk Smash (from Philly area) because of how much fun it was. Battlefields was excellent, playing some of the songs of their latest record from Translation Loss of which the name escapes me. Hulk Smash was entirely entertaining, a two piece assault on the ears.

Gholas played a shorter set, playing one song off our EP, and three songs off of our upcoming full lengths, provided we can record them. Except for some broken string issues, the set was much better than our one the previous night. It felt good to play it.

Overmars was awesome, quite a bit of Neurosis and Swans influence going on with them from the sound and presentation. They had great visuals that somehow came off nicely in the small space that is the Khyber. Definitely the high point of the show was seeing and then talking with them afterward, nice group of people.

Motivation is dead

It is times like these that being honest with oneself is necessary. My motivation is dead right now. This is why these posts are so few and far between right now. Vacation seems necessary, but it will not be happening for quite a while.

At least GREYMACHINE and Jesu are delivering right now. And a new Coalesce EP coming in November brings a definite smile to my face.

I am on the lookout for possible recording dates for Fissures right now, and I am hoping to have something out before the end of the year.

Finished

...at least for now, having completed my most recent graduate school course. The way it finished reminded me of two things: one, of the end of my undergraduate studies classes and the rushing around to get the projects finished; and two, that I am not 20, 21, 22 anymore. I was up until 3 AM pacing back and forth while hoping that the other people who were working on the project would get their parts completed. Luckily, they did and with just nine minutes to spare for the project's deadline.

Now, I guess I will see how the stress affects me. Finishing one of these is not unlike coming down off of drugs or running a marathon. Even after you finish, it affects you for days afterward as your body attempts to return to its normal state.

As the class closed, I was listening to (and still am) Jesu's Inifinty, and the song "Deflated"from their upcoming Opiate Sun EP as well as the GREYMACHINE album, and Clint Mansell's soundtrack to the movie, Moon...

All I Can Say...

...is what a relief. I just finished my last paper for my most recent graduate course, and I feel about 90 pounds lighter. Relief, is such a good word for the feeling. I spent more than 20 hours on this sucker and it sucked my will to live for the better part of a week and a half.

Some notes...

GREYMACHINE - Disconnected: WOW

Jesu- Infinity: Double WOW.

That's it for now.