Musical delights galore this week as Christa and War-N play a live performance of the brand new song, Sunday Smiled. The duo recap their Friday night performance at Diet Audio‘s release party. War-N’s neurotic account is captured on the HL blog. Christa had a different view. Speaking of Diet Audio, War-N plays a bit of Diet Audio’s lovely song, Fisa Cassatta, from their brand new CD, Ecrasez I’infame … which War-N didn’t even attempt to pronounce. Get the CD from CDBaby now!
Christa shares an email from Bibo who tells us of a Praise Seitan T-shirt, the Post Punk Kitchen and the tough decisions of his Amazon wish list. Also in this week’s chat War-N goes on a little rant about SoundExchange, and what the hell gives them the right to collect royalties for musicians before asking. Christa transforms into one of her MANY personalities (we’re calling her Edith) and War-N recounts a tale of ice cream treats and pendulous breasts … what could be better? T-shirt contest winners next week!
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We played our first show in 6 months (down to the day) last night at Alchemize The Decibel Lounge. We were using a new (far simpler) setup … just two keyboards and two microphones. We had Christa’s Casio Privia piano and my aging Korg Triton LE (has two knobs missing and one key that has a nice sag to it). I had sequences for bass, drums and extra bits in the Triton for several songs and others we just played using only our four hands … shocking! This is oddly nerve-wracking new territory for me … not being for a normal band background. I was really pushing the voice limits of the Triton on some of these sequences. A new workstation keyboard perhaps could be in order, but why focus on new tools? Our set went pretty well. I sang (on the new song, Sunday Smiled) for the first time in 11 years. In retrospect we (perhaps) should have moved that song up in the set. It was the second to last song of the set, so I spent the entire set thinking “oh shit oh shit oh shit. I have to sing” rather than getting into the performance. Once that song was finished I felt relaxed and into the music … but then we were done. Now I’ve done it once, I’ll feel better the next time around.
This was also the first time in 2 years we relied on house monitors instead of our fancy in-ear system. I see benefits to both methods. I did feel more connected with the audience without the in-ears … but that just fueled my nervousness I think. When writing things like this I wonder how I ever get up on a stage at all! Plus, I couldn’t hear anything I was doing over the crowd noise and muffled monitor wedges. I think I’d rather continue the illusion that everyone is listening to us in my sound isolated cocoon!
It was wonderful not not have to worry about laptops, video and complex signal routings last night. Plus the songs did feel more grounded and “real”. I think a little further refinement is needed, but this new setup is a good thing. This point was driven home when Diet Audio (who’s release party this was) had their laptop top decide to fail mid-set. I truly felt for them as we’ve been there SO many times. We joked afterwards about taking their laptop and our old Power Book and having an office space moment.
OK … on to more song writing and more shows. I feel certain there will be no major touring this year … but we’ll get out on the road a bit. Bare with us folks. This kinda feels like we’re starting from scratch with plenty of lessons learned over the past few years.
What the??!?! A comparison like that certainly deserves a listen, don’tcha think? This week brings lots of chatting about happenings of the last two weeks. War-N went to the Web 2.0 Expo in San Francisco (where he got bloggy with it) and Christa stayed home and did housework. Of course, they go into much more detail than that! OPM’s included Marianne Faithful, specifically the album “A Secret Life” (not Unfaithfully Yours as CB thought. duh!) and the song “The Stars Line Up“, and Nine Inch Nails were mentioned in a brief recollection of Christa seeing their new video. War-N’s “M” of choice this week fell under the category of a “Movie”, or rather a Film. The film was “Happy Endings” and was just bloody great and you should watch it now! CB lets out an incredible belch near the end, so be sure to hang around and listen to THAT!! Always let us know what you’re feeling about our topics. Most suggestions are nearly almost always welcomed! Come back next week when HL perform another song live, a BRAND NEW ONE, and chat about even more stuff! Chateauneuf du Pape!!
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What a lot of stuff!! In this episode, we learn a lot of facts about Soy, and Soy Isoflavones, how to make a traditional Italian Ragu with the help of a fabulous book, “The Splendid Table” (by Lynne Rosetto Kasper), which also has a podcast of the same name. Speaking of soy, Dr. Andrew Weil is mentioned, so you should go and learn about him because he’s good for you! War-N talks about HL’s new profile on Virb.com as well as how EMI will be making their entire catalog available DRM-free and higher quality via iTunes in May. The same for us indies is in the works (thank you Derek Sivers). Then, we go on a totally different plane and learn the meaning of the term “macaroni sex noise”! Christa talks with a chocolate egg in her mouth and burps more times than you can count from her non-squeaky church chair! A story behind the song Christa was listening to in the car is told, and the artist just happened to be ThouShaltNot and their song “Come A Time” (from the album ‘The White Beyond‘), which HL play a clip of for help understanding the story. War-N announces his trip to San Francisco for the Web 2.0 Expo (April 15-18) and invites people to come on over to meet up for a cuppa coffee if they’re in the area!
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The faint at heart beware this episode. Christa has a potty mouth and some very disturbing news is revealed. War-N decided to announce the end of “Tea with Hungry Lucy” and, unfortunately, the end of Hungry Lucy. A decidedly one-sided decision, Christa flaunts her disagreement to the end of HL. If you feel the need to hear why they’ve split, you can listen here.
Other fine folks mentioned this week:
The Merlin Show
Before the Music Dies (War-N’s review)
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Yes, of course, APRIL FOOLS. We can’t be silenced THAT easily! Sorry to those that bought it! 
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Christa and I just saw a screening of the film “Before the Music Dies” last night (Mar. 30) in Covington, KY. As both music creators and music fans, we were both so moved and inspired by the film. The film explores the changing music industry and includes great interviews with Dave Matthews, Erykah Badu, and many others as well as some very moving live performances, I love the fact that performances from many genres were presented. Some of the short, solo performances (by people of whom I’d never heard before last night) were some of the most powerful I’ve ever experienced.
From the B4MD website:
BEFORE THE MUSIC DIES tells the story of American music at this precarious moment. Filmmakers Andrew Shapter and Joel Rasmussen traveled the country, hoping to understand why mainstream music seems so packaged and repetitive, and whether corporations really had the power to silence musical innovation. The answers they found on this journey–ultimately, the promise that the future holds–are what makes BEFORE THE MUSIC DIES both riveting and exhilarating.
The music industry is rapidly changing and B4MD does a great job of showing that this change is ultimately good for both creators and listeners. For major labels/radio … perhaps not so much, but they’ve had the advantage for quite long enough!
My message to artists that are scared by the way the industry is changing … EMBRACE IT! Give away some music, allow people to enjoy what you do, and your audience will find you. The direct connection that we (as artists) can now have with our audience is worth so much more that any advertising budget!
Thank you to Andrew and Joel (and everyone involved) for this very inspiring film!
Musical delights galore this week as Christa and War-N play a live performance of the brand new song, Sunday Smiled. The duo recap their Friday night performance at Diet Audio‘s release party. War-N’s neurotic account is captured on the HL blog. Christa had a different view. Speaking of Diet Audio, War-N plays a bit of Diet Audio’s lovely song, Fisa Cassatta, from their brand new CD, Ecrasez I’infame … which War-N didn’t even attempt to pronounce. Get the CD from CDBaby now!