Monday, July 19, 2010

Footnote to FIRST TOUR POST (Playlists #1)

Here's some anthropological data.

The BACK STORY: while driving in the van on tour we listen to lots (to the millionth power) of music. For this 4 month tour, I filled up the empty space left on my 160G Ipod with music I've been meaning to listen to/music I feel like I should like/music that other people have recommended/etc. thus guaranteeing that our drives will always have unique and intriguing soundtracks.

The DATA:

Yesterday we had a monster of a drive: Davis, CA to Portland, OR. For the first few hours we just listened to radio because my Ipod mysteriously erased itself before we left. (Thank you APPLE.)

We also used Ben's mini-Ipod for a bit and listened to Aquemeni by Outkast (editors note: this album was thought provoking when contemplated in the context of WEIRD AMERICA) as well as some choice Motown cuts.

After getting dinner in Ashland, OR my Ipod had been fulled restored and we began passing it around and adding songs to the 'On The Go' playlist. The following is the play list we all created for the drive from Ashland, OR (depart approx. 9 pm) to Porland, OR (arrive approx 3 am).

Playlist order:
AJ
GRANT
BEN
RYAN
TOM
PAT

Round 1) No Theme/Random Songs

  • Berkeley Mews - The Kinks (Note: Pat and I, Archaeology Johnson, kinda think this song is FUCKING AMAZING.)
  • Computer Love - Zapp and Roger
  • Octopus - Syd Barrett
  • Solitude is Bliss - Tame Impala
  • Only In Dreams - Weezer
  • Everything Counts - Depeche Mode

Round 2) Theme: Britannia (2 full rotations)

  • Instant Party (Circles) - The Who
  • Melody - Serge Gainsbourg (note: Mr. Gainsbourg is DEFINITIVELY FRENCH. Grant was harassed ruggedly for this selection)
  • War Pigs - Black Sabbath
  • Cry Baby Cry (Anthology Version) - The Beatles
  • Lauft.. Heisst Das es lauft oder es kommt bald.. lauft - Faust (note: a cursory look at the title will demonstrate that it is DEFINITIVELY GERMAN. Tombo suffered a similar fate as Grant.)
  • Disorder (Live) - Joy Division
  • Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious - Mary Poppins (note: I intended to pick "Feed the Birds", also from Mary Poppins, but the labeling was wrong for some reason. It was really intense hearing this song blast out of the stereo when I was expecting the other song. But still, any way you slice it, it doesn't get more British than this, does it? Commentary, Claire Lester?)
  • I'm So Glad - Cream
  • Jimmy - M.I.A.
  • Suspended in Gaffa - Kate Bush (note: Pat just calls her "Bush". As in, "Oh, is this 'Bush' we're listening to? --- AWESOME")
  • Anarchy in the U.K. - The Sex Pistols
  • Rocket Man - Elton John

Round 3) Theme: Africa (note: this playlist in general was kind of an embarrassment. once again, Grant and Tom are the main culprits... something about "Chain of Fools" and "Black or White" in this context feels.... WRONG. We swear Africa, we really like you and do in fact think very highly of you.)

  • Wubit - Mulatu Astatke
  • Chain of Fools - Aretha Franklin
  • Africa Tree - The Residents
  • Tell Me Something Good - Lee "Scratch" Perry
  • Black or White - Michael Jackson
  • Timbindy - Ali Farke Toure

Round 4) Theme: Spooky

  • From The Edge of the Deep Green Sea - The Cure
  • On The Tweek Again - Primus
  • Hesitation Blues - Ledbelly
  • Synchronicity 2 - The Police
  • Dancing Gods - Silver Apples
  • O'Malley's Bar - Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds (note: Grant hated this song. The song was at least 17 minutes long. Grant kept saying, "Is this STILL Nick CACA?")

Round 5) Theme: The 1990s

  • I Hate Myself and I Want To Die - Nirvana
  • J.A.R. - Green Day
  • Arc Arsenal - At The Drive-In
  • Rhinosaur - Soundgarden
  • Aneurysm - Nirvana
  • Losing My Religion - REM (Note: Doubling the acoustic guitar with a mandolin makes it sound SWEET.)

After this point, we rounded out the drive by listening to the U.K. version of the first Clash album, Green River by Creedence Clearwater Revival and Highway 61 Revisited by Bob Dylan (starting from "Tombstone Blues").

Assignment:

WHAT IS THE PATTERN?!?!?!?

Saturday, July 17, 2010

Militant Mellowness or In Search of WEIRD AMERICA (BATTLEHOOCH U.S. Tour 2010 Pt.1)

(it begins)

Yes. It's July.

Yes. The last post was in May.

Yes. BATTLEHOOCH is still alive and well. (More alive and well than ever, IN FACT)

(No. We are not in San Francisco. Technically we don't live there (OR ANYWHERE) right now...)

YES YES YES YES!
WE ARE ON TOUR!!

It's been a busy past few months leading up to this current tour, which as of this writing a wee 4 days old. (yes that is wee, and in a "wee leprechaun". What? Uou didn't know I was Irish? Oh yes, the whole time you read this blog, your inner monologue should be in an Irish accent.)

(don't listen to him)

Thanks to all our friends/fans/family/pets/etc. that came out to our last two SF Shows: Opening for Forest Day at Great American Music Hall and our Exodus show at Bottom of the Hill. Both were shows that meant a lot to us, and it meant even more that we had friends to boogie down with. (Sentimental violin music. The violins catch on fire, and melt like wax. TOO GOOPY, Archaeology. TOO GOOPY.)

Another BIG BIG deal was that (drum rolllllllllllllllllllll)... we all QUIT OUR JOBS!!! (HUZZAH!)
For the moment, our only jobs are BATTLEHOOCH/music related ones and that, my friends, is a beautiful thing... something that I personally have been awaiting since I was in 7th grade. I don't mean to gloat or anything.... just sayin' I'm happy, is all.

ANNNNNNND... even though our self-titled, second LP came out in April, we've already written the bulk of the follow up. We have prepared no less than 10 new, unrecorded songs to be roadtested over the course of the tour, and if all goes well, we'll be able to jump right into the studio when the tour is over and squeeze out the next album before ya know it! Keep checking back to the blog periodically to hear live recordings of these new songs, they will surely morph over the course of this crusade.

VERY VERY VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATION!!!!!!

FACT: We are currently running a Kickstarter Campaign which we need donations for.

Q: What is Kickstarter?
A: A super amazing website where people who need money for projects put together a proposition, and people who have money to burn can invest money in those proposed projects.

We have created a Kickstarter campaign in order to finance the purchase of a whole gaggle of cameras, tri-pods, etc. so that we can properly document our adventures. If you are interested in investing or you just want to find out more information, please follow THIS link to the page that our beloved drummer Huberloinz setup that explains the whole project in GREAT DETAIL.


In Portland now. Making sandwiches. Drinking Lemonade. Trying to find Weird America.

Signing off for now, see you SOON SOON.

(it'll continue......................................)