Watch the video and then buy something real.

All dates feature young fire-keepers Rare Grooves. March 11th features I Heart Lung in quartet mode with special guests Chris Cogburn and C.J. Boyd.

Not coincidentally, I will be speaking on a panel at the NX35 Music Festival in Denton, Texas on March 12th. Many thanks to Michael Seman for inviting me out and making this little tour a possibility.

March 10th at Salvage Vanguard Theater, Austin, TX. Presented by Church of the Friendly Ghost.
March 11th at Hot Mamas Espresso, Austin, TX. with Chris Cogburn and C.J. Boyd. Presented by Church of the Friendly Ghost.
March 12th at NX35 Festival, Denton, TX. (Chris Schlarb Discussion Panel)
March 13th at NX35 Festival, Denton, TX. with Shiny Around The Edges
March 14th at Resonant Sound Series, Houston, TX. with C.J. Boyd
March 15th at Avant Garden, Houston, TX. with C.J. Boyd

For maps, links, and detailed show listings, check this out.

I did not list any records that I released (personally or on Sounds Are Active) but I have included The Widow Babies second (and final) album, Jetpacks, which I produced and engineered. It’s that good.

Honrable Mentions

Deradoorian- Mind Raft
There is something about Angel Deradoorian’s song “High Road” that reminds me of Belladonna-era Stevie Nicks. That is an incredibly good thing.

ZaneOne- L.A. Woman
With legendary underground hip-hop producer Dert handling beats and samples, Zane finally gets her moment to shine. The heavy metal guitars on the self-titled, “ZaneOne” take RUN-DMC’s “Rock Box” to the next level.

Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society- Infernal Machines (New Amsterdam)
Ambitious, clean and well arranged, it took me a little while to finally listen to this album, but I’m glad I did. I have a feeling that whatever comes next is going to be incredible.

TOP 10 of 2009

10. Mos Def- The Ecstatic (Downtown Records)
Mos Def stops acting and starts rapping. Probably the best album of his career. Remarkably consistent considering all the different producers involved.

09. C.J. Boyd- Aerial Roots (Joyful Noise Recordings)
Picking up where The Greatest Weight left off, C.J. moves his solo bass tempest in any direction that his imagination desires. Meditative, grounded and gorgeous.

08. DM Stith- Heavy Ghost (Asthmatic Kitty Records)
With equal concern for texture, structure and harmony, DM Stith layers hundreds of tracks and keeps simple melody at the core. Hard to believe this is a debut album.

07. Serengeti & Polyphonic- Terradactyl (Anticon)
Two of the most misunderstood and progressive artists working in hip-hop. Terradactyl doesn’t sound like any other record released this year.

06. Nels Cline- Coward (Cryptogramophone)
Nels Cline at his most vulnerable, Coward finds him dancing through ECM territory on all manner of stringed instruments. It also contains one of the prettiest pieces of music I heard all year in “Prayer Wheel”.

05. Brian Blade- Mama Rosa (Verve Forecast)
Brilliant jazz drummer Brian Blade makes his debut as a singer/songwriter. Half of Mama Rosa’s songs are stunning embodiments of the medium informed by the masters (Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan- the latter two Blade has performed alongside). The occasional song, like “Get There”, reminds you that he might be human after all.

04. The Widow Babies- Jetpacks (OlFactory Records)
Twelve burning, undeniably catchy songs in under 19 minutes, The Widow Babies second album finds them fulfilling all the promise heard in The Mike Watt E.P. Drummer/lyricist Tabor Allen churns through complex drum patterns while Danny Miller scrapes sunshine out of his guitar. Bassist Neal Marquez and vocalist Elise McCutchen integrate the band’s sound with powerful low and high end accents. SadlyJetpacks is also the band’s too soon swan song.

03. Grizzly Bear- Veckatimest (Warp Records)
It’s funny how “prog” used to be a four-letter word. In the last ten years bands like Deerhoof and Blonde Redhead helped reintroduce the genre with fresh aggression and now, somehow, Grizzly Bear releases the most ambitious album I have heard in years. Not only is it a well arranged and highly considerate album, it also sounds gorgeous. I would also propose that Veckatimest is the bastard love child of Pet Sounds and Close To The Edge, but that’s a conversation for another time.

02. Cryptacize- Mythomania (Asthmatic Kitty Records)
Mythomania was the first album I heard in 2009 that blew me away. Chris Cohen’s chords are so smart, Nedelle Torrisi’s voice so pure, and the presentation so right, I was certain that it would end up as one of my most listened to albums of year. Songs like “What You Can’t See Is” and “New Spell” made sure of it.

01. Little Dragon- Machine Dreams (Peacefrog)
I was minding my own business when I accidentally listened to the radio in Los Angeles. Little Dragon was performing live on KCRW and I was hooked. After dozens of times through Machine Dreams I am starting to understand why I love it so much: the synth-heavy 80’s production is pitch perfect (especially on the live drums) and vocalist Yukimi Nagano imbues each song with strange phrasings and melodic imagination. Highlights include the weird Zappa-esque keyboard harmonies over a stilted Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis beat on “Swimming” or the devastating melody that sneaks into the non-chorus of “Fortune”.
Far and away, the album I listened to most in 2009.

So I went to Guitar Center today. I wanted to check out a few Electro Harmonix pedals. I didn’t buy anything.

We pulled in a few ringers this year and are very happy to have family friend Tabor Allen playing drums on two songs. One of those songs, “Rocky Raccoon”, also happens to feature the talents of Andrew Durkin of Industrial Jazz Group on piano. Lastly, we present the recording debut of Amparo Lomas (Adriana’s mother) on vocals. Although not “Christmas songs”, the real gift was making music together with family and friends.

We recorded and rehearsed everything in about two weeks. Naima knew from the beginning she wanted to whistle “I Will” and she knocked it out in two takes. Elisha IS “Rocky Raccoon” and my wife Adriana, our mom Amparo and I recorded “Mother Nature’s Son” in two takes with a stereo mic set up, just the three of us playing and singing in a room. Just for the record, that’s me hitting the high notes on “Dear Prudence”. Merry Christmas!

01. I Will [mp3]
02. Mother Nature’s Son [mp3]
03. Rocky Raccoon [mp3]
04. Dear Prudence [mp3]

Download high quality mp3s in a .zip file here!

CREDITS
Naima Schlarb- whistling on “I Will” and co-lead vocals on “Dear Prudence”
Elisha Schlarb- lead vocals and harmonica on “Rocky Raccoon” and co-lead vocals on “Dear Prudence”
Adriana Schlarb- vocals on “Mother Nature’s Son” and backing vocals on “Dear Prudence”, handclaps on “Rocky Raccoon”
Chris Schlarb- acoustic and electric guitars, vocals on “Mother Nature’s Son”, backing vocals, drums, jingle bells and bass on “Dear Prudence”, handclaps on “Rocky Raccoon”

with:
Tabor Allen- drums on “I Will” and “Rocky Raccoon”
Andrew Durkin- piano on “Rocky Raccoon”
Amparo Lomas- vocals on “Mother Nature’s Son” and handclaps on “Rocky Raccoon”

Produced, Arranged and Recorded by Chris Schlarb
Recorded from November 21st through December 6th in the Red Room (next to the kitchen)

In the last few years, the recording was featured on Boing Boing and downloaded thousands of times. I recently went back to the original recordings, added some EQ, a little reverb and generally remastered the whole affair. The original recording was only 7 minutes long but I have looped it and crossfaded it into a 33 minute beast that begs for many Halloween listens. Enjoy!

Orlando Greenhill- voice, electronics, electric bass, percussion
Chris Schlarb- drums, piano, percussion, electronics, voice
Chaos Theory- electric guitar, voice, percussion

Produced and Recorded by Chris Schlarb

Sometimes I get invitations that are too good to pass up and it seems that a lot of them came within a 14 day span in the middle of September.

Here’s the quick run down:

Sunday September 13th, 2009
Eagle Rock Center For The Arts
2225 Colorado Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA. 90041
Nels Cline + G.E. Stinson
Hans Fjellestad
Starts at 7pm // $10

Nels and G.E. are celebrating the release of their new duo album, Elevating Device. I will be recording the performance and running the merchandise table. Come out and say hello!

Sunday September 13th, 2009
Part Time Punks
1822 Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles CA 90026
The Widow Babies
Blue Jungle
Starts at 10pm // $5

I’ll be heading straight from the Elevating Device album release show to The Widow Babies Jet Packs album release show. In January of this year, the group and I began recording Jet Packs and I couldn’t be happier for them. They have taken a massive step forward in songwriting and performance and their new songs are just incredible. Who knows, maybe I’ll end up recording this show too.

Monday September 14th, 2009
The Santa Animals Sneak Peak Party
533 Havana
Long Beach CA 90814
Starts at 9pm // FREE

In August I started work on the independent short film, The Santa Animals. I have been recording everything from the sound of bacon sizzling and dogs barking to wind blowing softly through bird-filled trees. One of the last things I need is to record is the sound of a party for the film’s final scene. That’s where you come in. There are worse ways to spend your Monday night: free food and lending the sound of your voice to a movie.

Thursday September 17th, 2009
Slow Sound Festival at {open}
2226 E. 4th St.
Long Beach, CA. 90814
Chris Schlarb plays Night Game
Albert Ortega
Catherine Lamb
Starts at 8pm // $5

This is a very special event for me. I have worked on the music for Night Game for almost two years now. The funny thing is, almost no one has heard it. Night Game is scheduled for release on the Nintendo Wii in coming months and this event will feature music and projections from and inspired by the game.

Monday September 21st
Fingerprints
4612 E 2nd St
Long Beach, CA. 90803
Nels Cline + G.E. Stinson
Starts at 7pm // Free Instore

I was on the phone all day yesterday putting this together. Nels flies out to New York the next morning but he was looking forward to coming back to Long Beach and performing at the best music store Southern California.

Wednesday September 23rd
Jimmy’s Lounge
6202 Santa Monica Blvd.
Hollywood, Ca. 90038
I Heart Lung
Omid
Emily Hay Collective
Brother Mitya
Screwtape (featuring Bizzart)
DJ ESP
Starts at 9pm // $5

This show, in honor of John Coltrane’s birthday, is almost a miniature festival. I Heart Lung will be throwing down a few Coltrane tunes (with DJ ESP) and will also be sitting in with Brother Mitya for the night. An unbelievably rare performance. Don’t miss it.

As many of you may know, I run the Sounds Are Active record label in what doctors and psychologists call my “spare time.” Today, I am very proud to hold in my hands, the label’s 50th release: Nels Cline + G.E. Stinson’s Elevating Device. Nels and G.E. are long time friends who have both accomplished a many great musical thing over the years. With Elevating Device, they finally sit down together with their guitars and conjure up the sounds they’ve always wanted to. It’s an honor for me to have them on the label.

At 2 seconds you can hear him kick the ball from the left.

At 4 seconds the ball lands on the right.

You then hear him run from the left to the right.

At 16 seconds he kicks the ball straight toward my Zoom H4n microphone and tripod stand.

At 17 seconds you hear the impact of the ball and the microphone and then the microphone and the ground.

At 24 seconds you hear the man run to the microphone and gasp. He then attempts to place the microphone back on the stand, at which point I take it from him, he apologizes and I tell him it’s okay.

It wasn’t funny at the time but the more I listen to it, the funnier it becomes. Thankfully the Zoom H4n is pretty well made and it showed no ill affects of the impact and subsequent four foot drop.

A few days after recording the demo sketch, I rehearsed with Destroyer of Brains and taught them the piece. Here is a our first quartet attempt, warts and all.

On July 13th, 2009 we recorded at Compound Studio in Long Beach, CA. This video is from the song’s second take. It doesn’t really feature the full melody, which are present in the other demos. For that you’ll have to wait for the master take (Take 3) which will appear on the album.

Destroyer of Brains Sextet (from left to right)
Danny Miller- electric guitar
Danny T. Levin- euphonium, trumpet
David Moyer- tenor saxophone
Chris Nowak- electric bass
Chris Schlarb- electric guitar
Tabor Allen- drums

Written and Produced by Chris Schlarb
Engineered by Jeff Lewis

]]> http://www.chrisschlarb.com/2009/07/song-for-charles-rocket-sketch/feed/ 0 http://www.chrisschlarb.com/2009/05/we-scream-voices-from-the-ice-cream-underground/ http://www.chrisschlarb.com/2009/05/we-scream-voices-from-the-ice-cream-underground/#comments Wed, 27 May 2009 11:30:32 +0000 schlarb http://www.chrisschlarb.com/?p=670 For the last six years or so I have wanted to make a documentary film about ice cream truck drivers and paleteros (cart and bike vendors). Having spent years delivering newspapers, copies and organic fruit myself, I have always felt a certain kinship to these professions. What has interested me most about them, however, is the relative secrecy in which they operate. Until now, I have known relatively little about their practices, schedules, routes and routines. Do they work alone? Where do they keep their trucks? Is it a dangerous job?

I couldn’t resist any longer and now my wife and I are trying to plow full steam ahead into this project. I will be composing the score for the film and am trying to raise enough money (through Kickstarter.com) to put some time and love into it. Once it’s done, we’ll release the film and the soundtrack online.

Any financial help you can give will be much appreciated. I promise to give something right back to you once the project is done. Check out the link for a quick trailer, a few short pieces of music and lots of ice cream trucks.

It has been almost four years since Tom and I have travelled east. I have fond memories from our last tour and am very much looking forward to stopping in at The Bug Jar in Rochester again. I’ll have t-shirts and brand new I Heart Lung 12-inch on hand. Stop by the I Heart Lung Traveling Medicine Show!

I tried my best to make a living as a musician this year and the remove required in that effort was almost Herculean. Twilight & Ghost Stories II anyone? It’s a strange life with strange requirements. Maybe my training wheels will come off in the next twelve months.

Nevertheless, this year was rich with musical experiences: I composed my first video game score, performed Twilight & Ghost Stories in both San Francisco and Austin, wrote my first extended piece for violin and cello, released both Interoceans, Interoceans Remixed and the Schlarb Family Christmas Album. I also produced a few great albums including the debut records for The Widow Babies, Steve Gerstein and The Commotions. I even got to tour the West Coast alongside ellul with I Heart Lung and play a gig with Kira Roessler and Mike Watt. I also saw Herbie Hancock and Joni Mitchell play music together less than 20 feet away from my physical body.

I definitely spent more time this year listening to and working on my own music and projects than any other I can think of. I remember how, just ten years ago, my ears were so open and ready to absorb the millions of ideas floating around out there. Now I use the music of other artists to help escape my own ideas and reflect on the creative process.

As far as those rising names and their associated publicity machines; I’ve never been good at riding bandwagons. Sometimes I’m too stubborn for my own good.

With all that bluster for context, here were the 2008 albums that moved me:

5. Juana Molina- Un Dia
4. NOMO- Ghost Rock
3. Strategy- Music For Lamping
2. Cynic- Traced In Air
1. Squarepusher- Just A Souvenier

A few days ago I contributed to the “Why Obama” essay series that Largehearted Boy has been curating. My slightly updated (grammar only) essay follows:

It is important that we judge Barack Obama on his own merits, accomplishments and ideals. Eight years of George W. Bush presidency and the terrorist attacks on 9/11 have obscured our collective vision and may incline many to take a relativist view of the Democratic Presidential nominee. In recent weeks polling gaps have widened in Obama’s favor and many disenfranchised Republicans have jumped ship to endorse his candidacy, but why?

In Obama, a Harvard graduate (Juris Doctor) and constitutional law professor, the country has a rare opportunity to place a scholar and thinker in a position of power. As with Bill Clinton, John F. Kennedy before him Barack Obama has displayed a willingness to engage with viewpoints differing from his own. His selection of Sen. Joe Biden as his Vice Presidential candidate is an obvious example. It was Biden who criticized Obama’s lack of experience and knowledge on foreign relations issues before being defeated in the democratic primary. Having chosen someone with differing views one can at least be assured that an internal debate will take place. In fact, Obama’s ability to genuinely empathize may be one of his greatest strengths.

Having long served as a community organizer, civil rights attorney and Illinois state Senator, Barack Obama is uniquely qualified to address the growing inequity in poverty and wealth in America. He has stopped short of promising universal health care with a plan that bridges the gap between idealism and cold, hard reality. We must not forget that Barack Obama is a politician and, as such, is more familiar with the internal trade offs and measured judgments of Washington than most voters; and yet, there is an abiding sense that he will truly promote the general welfare of the United States. Obama’s repeal of the Bush tax cuts for the rich to Clinton-era levels is another marked example: moderation with forward momentum.

With our constitutional rights disappearing and religious fanaticism at a seeming fever pitch, I am hastened by Obama’s balanced, Jeffersonian approach to uphold the separation of church and state. In his book, The Audacity of Hope, he is quick to point out that a single religious group cannot take hold of policy and government at the expense of others (differing religious groups and those who practice no religion) who also occupy the same republic. As Thomas Jefferson stated, “Christianity neither is, nor ever was a part of the common law” and Obama, himself a Christian, has clearly parsed, the First Amendment to the United States Constitution which states, in part: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof”.

Surely the times we live in are perilous. Of course the same can be said for much of our nation’s past. A deep appreciation for history and its lessons are an asset for anyone willing to take up the mantle of President of the United States. In the manner with which he has exhibited forethought- opposition to the invasion of Iraq, his decision to forgo “public funding”, his warnings of the oncoming subprime mortgage crisis, stationing over 10,000 lawyers at the polls on November 4th- Barack Obama has exhibited not only an acumen rarely seen in politics but a nuance in approach that allows both acolytes and dissenters to feel as though their concerns have been addressed.

Within a week’s time the United States will collectively decide who to elect as its 44th president. After examining Barack Obama independent of George W. Bush (or John McCain for that matter) the choice comes more sharply into focus. For all the ownership that the country has taken in the rise of Barack Obama’s political career and presidential campaign, my hope is that after being elected as a man of the people, he will use his discernment and learned sense of justice to govern over a nation that needs a man of his measure and also, a man apart.

Originally published on Largehearted Boy

At the time, mid-February 2008, I was in the middle of at least four ongoing music projects and felt compelled to take on a fifth. I told the band that I was available to produce an album and we exchanged numbers. After a few phone calls we set up a recording session at Matt Wignall’s Tackyland studio in Long Beach just a month later. Drummer Tabor Allen and guitarist Danny Miller told me “Mike Watt Created The Universe With A Bass Solo” was the first part of a six song paean to the myth of the Minutemen bassist. We finished five of the six tracks on March 22nd and went out for pizza at Me-N-Ed’s pizza. It was a quick days work with the band recording their takes with youthful ferocity and vocalist Elise McCutchen recording all of her vocal overdubs as soon as the music was put to tape.

A month later we met at my apartment for mixing and the recording of acoustic epilogue to the album. I continued to work on the mix for the next few weeks until I felt confident that The Widow Babies sounded the way they should: raw, fun, excited, awesome and awestruck.

From the opening drum fill to the closing acoustic guitar The Mike Watt E.P. runs a cool twelve and a half minutes, it’s over before you know what you’ve just heard: a parallel universe where Genesis and Melt Banana combine to make The Lamb Lies Down in San Pedro. In a time and place where attention spans are further on the wain and the listeners of the world are becoming more judicious The Widow Babies cram in Brazilian rhythms and timbales into “Vanity Thy Name Is Lincoln” and meaty double tracked guitars ring out on “Evil Triumphs Over The Awesome Powers Of Kayak” where bassist Neil Marquez continues to reveal his remarkable facility on the instrument. I had a hunch from the beginning that Watt would be proud.

Personnel
Tabor Allen- drums
Danny Miller- guitar
Neal Marquez- bass
Elise McCutchen- vocals

Produced and engineered by Chris Schlarb

Originally published in L.A. Record

What I enjoy most about this site is that I can work on an essay or a group of thoughts and eventually publish them as a cohesive whole. Twitter, on the other hand seems to function, for me, like a spastic diary of sorts: where am I, what am I doing, who am I with and so on.

Of course the paranoid in me thinks this may be a mistake. Time will tell.

Anyhow if you want to “follow” yours truly, you can find me at: twitter.com/schlarb

Right now I am in the final few weeks of one video game project that I have with Nicklas “Nifflas” Nygren. Joining me on this soundtrack are drummers Nick Hennies and Andrew Pompey as well as bassist Anthony Shadduck. There are a few sessions scheduled for the coming week so I don’t expect another post for a little while.

In addition to finishing that wonderful project I am going into the studio next week to produce and engineer an album by local Long Beach band The Commotions. This should be a Booker T. & The ESG’s style affair. Parse those references carefully.

It looks like all the vocal overdubs for the I Heart Lung- Interoceans Remixed project are finished and this wonderful little project has been a really great opportunity for me to get back in touch with a number of old friends. More news about this release soon.

I suppose I will also mention that on July 19th, in San Francisco, and July 29th & 30th, in Austin, Texas, I will be performing Twilight & Ghost Stories. The musicians involved in both ensembles are incredible and if you are able to make it out, I would highly suggest it as I will not be performing this piece again in either city. Los Angeles, Chicago and New York should fill out the live Twilight experiment at some point. This lovely flyer was designed by Seth Ferris. You can download printable flyers by clicking on either the front or back shown below.