Thanks, and fun...

Last night was spent in Huntsville, AL at the Flying Monkey Arts Center. What a fantastic place, and a great group of folks. Go check that place out if your ever in the area. Very cool.

Today was spent doing what may end up being the last bits of tracking. To call it productive would be an understatement. It is really coming together. In a big way. Even if other folks end up not really digging it (or, in the more traditional C!C! style, being totally indifferent towards it), this is going to sound like what I heard in my head months and months ago while we were originally writing the songs. And I can rest easy finishing something like that.

I can't wait until we finish the tracking and the mixing and we get to put it in the car and drive to Lake Harris or something and listen to it. That sounds vain, like staring in a mirror or something, but it feels different than that; it'll just be a relief. Not of stress or worry or anything negative, just a mission accomplished kind of easiness. Maybe we'll have an early listening party while its mastered? Eh?

Ocean Springs, MS...

Ocean Springs, MS. Thank you for a fantastic Saturday night, complete with a big crowd, a bar brawl, and, at times, very enthused dancing. We really appreciate it.

This Martin Luther King, Jr. Monday is giving me a chance to catch up on some of the mixing for this album. Which is fantastic. Classes started last week, and it was a swirl of syllabuses and many pages of reading. Good to get a slow day to not only reflect on the greatness of MLK, but get some stuff done.

Last semester, I took a class on Gandhi, Bonhoeffer, and MLK. All three are fascinating figures, but King really has to jump off the page to us Americans, and even more particularly, us Southerners. He was an incredible person who transcended himself to become a figure, and thats rare, and I don't think I could dream of a more noble cause. Check this video out, and if it doesn't move you...well...well, I don't know what you are, but it can't be human.

Check it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APElEqI6ahw

Sickness, travels, excitement....

Tonight, we're traveling down to the Mississippi Gulf coast to play at Government Street Grocery. We're excited about this, as its our first show of 2010, which means its been about a month since we played. I'm not a grizzled, seasoned, jaded musician by any means, but after a month off, there is a certain excitement and fun and sense of adventure that has come back to playing. Sometimes taking a step back from the "Go, go go!" mentality that we live in, even during a normal week, with practices, booking, recording, playing a show or two if we're lucky, and juggling that with school and jobs, and etc, etc, really gives the perspective that this is something we love to do, not just something that we enjoy that keeps us busy. Again, not that we didn't know that all along, its just become more apparent now. Road trips are still kind of a hassle (the logistics), todays especially (Bowen is playing at the National Championship celebration at Bryant Denny with the band (Roll Tide!), keeping us in town until later than we might like), but it'll be good. We don't have a vehicle big enough to accommodate the whole band and our gear, so we have to take two cars, which does make for dumb convoy interactions, but doesn't make well for our wallets, and leaves at least one of us going the road alone. So, if you have a van or an oversized SUV you wanna let go of....but seriously...let us know...

Still finishing recording and doing early mixes of the album. Its going to be hard to call this one "done." Always thinking there may be more to do...but its getting there.

Enjoy the three day weekend, folks.

Its coming.

The end of the list...

Yesterday, I started to wrap up my end of the decade list of albums. I love albums. As I'm going through and making sure I don't miss any of them, listening to stuff, I can help but be reminded how incredible this artform is. In addition to yesterdays list, we've had Armchair Apocrypha by Andrew Bird and Her Majesty the Decemberists. Write ups for those can be found in older posts, and today will finish out the list. These are in absolutely no order, and I'm really hoping that I remember everything, as I'm kind of doing it in an unofficial look through my collection kind of way. Anyway, on to the last ones...



In Rainbows; Radiohead, 2007.

Radiohead. I mean, come on. Its Radiohead. If this album had absolutely sucked, it still would have been important, because, well, again, its Radiohead, and because of the pay-what-you-will release style. It was a stroke of brilliance in a crumbling music business. And then, the album itself is fantastic. Dan is the "Radiohead fan" in our "relationship" (hey, play with someone long enough, and these things happen), so this means a lot less coming from me, and I'm not sure he would agree, but this is my favorite Radiohead album. Its absolutely beautiful and haunting. I can't tell you how many times I've watched their "Scotch Mist" webcast that they have left up on YouTube, and encourage you to go check it out if you haven't already. I really don't know what else to say about this album except beautiful and haunting, and I've already said that. Its just fantastic. It sounds like now, or sounds like 2007-now. It just has that intangible. And making art that is so relevant to culture today (and not the culture of Miley Cyrus, but the culture of what the hell is going on in the world at large) is an achievement that usually ends up defining a generation, or at least a moment. And I think we'll find, as the years pass by, that this is art that will endure. Of all people, Dave Matthews wrote an excellent piece on why Radiohead is so brilliant for Rolling Stone, so maybe I'll just refer you there for that instead of continuing to fumble over explanations. Its worth a read...if you like Dave Matthews, it'll remind you why; if you don't, maybe he can gain some points in your book: Check it out here.




Sufjan Stevens invites you to: Come on feel the Illinoise; Sufjan Stevens, 2005.

It was the best reviewed album of 2005! I honestly don't know many music fans that didn't have at least a minor-freakout about this album. Its a behemoth of an effort (73 minutes long!?!?), the second in his 50 states project. Hopefully not his last. We all knew he probably wasn't going to do all 50 (though I was very intrigued to hear his take on Alabama, and if not us, then at least A southern state), and his comments to Paste earlier this year kind of confirmed that it probably won't happen. Unless he starts making like 3 or 4 a year. I don't know, I haven't done the math. But regardless, this might go down in my brain as THE album of this decade. Honestly, I never really connected emotionally to it as much as most of the other ones on this list. I know its brilliant, and I can appreciate that. I can also appreciate that he recorded it all on a little cheap 8-track at sub-par quality, then dumped it into ProTools when he ran out of space, then recorded more, lining up different tracks essentially by sight on a computer, and ended up doing the final mixes by himself with some headphones (which was an improvement on the recording of Michigan; apparently, for that, he only had two or three mics at his disposal, and so decided to record half the drum kit at a time, then go back with the mics on the other half, and record those parts...yeah, seriously, he did it, and pulled it off). And it has a sound to it that is both fantastic, and somehow captures the feeling of the time. Maybe thats because this kind of defined that period. I don't know. I just know its a captivating work, and a fantastic one. Still wish I could have roped Dan into writing this one...in addition to being the "Radiohead guy," he is very much the "Sufjan guy." Though I think anyone with much of a musical brain can really appreciate just how incredible this effort is.



Fleet Foxes; Fleet Foxes, 2008

They are Pitchfork darlings, sure, but unlike other bands that Pitchfork sometimes has freakouts about (the best commentary I've heard yet on this: "Animal Collective could fart on tape and Pitchfork would give it a ten." I like Animal Collective, but must agree here...), I think Fleet Foxes are pretty legit. I like them. People say "They sound just like (fill-in the blank with guys with beards and hair that play acoustic guitars)," and that's just not true. They have a sound all their own. Their writing is all their own. And the way they skyrocketed into international consciousness is incredible. I've heard middle aged folks write it off and say "It just sounds like stuff from the 60s." I think that Robin Pecknold and Co., would probably take that assessment pretty well, knowing in the back of their heads that, yeah, they're vocal arrangements may borrow from the acts of yore, but that they have certainly done something unique, something their own. This album is fantastic, its swells, quiet moments, explosions of pastoralism. And the vocals are just phenomenal. It was the album of the year in 2008, and its deserved. They get their flak, especially from the more rock oriented crowd, but this is a great album.



Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends; Coldplay, 2008.

Coldplay. THE arena rock band of this decade. U2 is still kicking (and I mean KICKING; the 360 Tour was phenomenal), but Coldplay were the newcomers this time ten years ago, and this is my favorite of their albums. Maybe thats sacrilege. I don't really care. I've honestly enjoyed everything they've put out, but this one just resonated, start to finish. Find another album that produced a single with the success of "Viva la Vida," that has this much depth to it, this much substance. This is another album that just went in my CD player and didn't come out for months. It sounds like triumph. "Lovers In Japan/Reign of Love," is simply stunning, and "Death and All His Friends," is moving to me beyond words. I saw them this year, over the summer, in Dallas, and it was just incredible. Such energy, such connection. Dear lord.

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That isn't my whole list. And it certainly isn't in any order. There's got to be some honorable mentions. First and foremost, if U2's 360 Tour could be an album, I'd pick it. If it could fit this category, somehow. That was stunning, and THE greatest show I've ever been at. I was inside the ellipse, watching the whole thing from about 5 feet away, and these guys have been my heroes since I was in a car seat. My dad was there with me. He wore out a cassette tape of The Joshua Tree while I rode in the backseat, and when I hear those songs, it sounds like my childhood. He stood in the general admission line with us and was ready to run for the stage (thankfully they had things pretty under control and fair; I didn't have to bust any skulls), and to be sentimental, that was a great day. I loved All That You Can't Leave Behind and can honestly say that I really like the new one, No Line On the Horizon. A lot. So there's those mentions. I almost felt like it wouldn't be fair to include U2, considering their place in my heart, but they had to get a mention.

Speaking of places in hearts, the members of C!C! have made no attempt to hide our love for Dave Matthews Band. I've been told I'll grow out of it, but they have put out some good albums, and are phenomenal live, and so maybe I will, but when I listen to them, they still sound like home (much like U2; this is another band I was listening to with my dad from the backseat). Dave's lyrical powers are at times nothing short of poetically beautiful (see: "Pig," "The Stone," "You Never Know," "Don't Drink the Water,"), and there is an intangible about the band that just washes over the mind (you hate it now, but "Crash (Into Me)" is a genius single, and can be described as nothing but enchanting, even if that calls my masculinity into question). Their wall of sound...damn. Carter Beauford. What a drummer. Anyway, in August of 2008 when LeRoi Moore passed away, I was more than a little bummed. Everyday and Stand Up were just embarrassments to the bands name in my opinion, and Busted Stuff is kind of a forgotten (yet still good) release. So when they unloaded Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King this year, it was a big deal. It doesn't suck. It isn't Dave at his best throughout, but there are just some awesome moments on it. When I saw them in April on one of their first tour dates of 2009, just before this albums release, and they played "Why I Am," the most concentrated ode to their lost band member and friend, I certainly felt the chills as the crowd yelled jubilantly at the lines that were clear nods to Moore. And I definitely felt them when I listened to "Baby Blue," for the first time. Love them or hate them, I don't really care. They are right there with U2 in terms of being my musical home, considering I've been hearing them since before memory really comes into play. And this album, made in New Orleans and sounding about as raw as DMB ever has, captured that moment of the band pretty durn well. Not the best thing ever made, but I dig it, and I love the band, so it gets a nod.

The rest of Coldplay's albums were ones that got heavy listens from me as well, they just got edged out in the end. Still great. So a nod there.

The Killers made a really, really great debut record in Hot Fuss Once I got through the first three tracks of the follow up, I stopped caring, but man, Hot Fuss was good. And so were a handful of songs on the second one, but not in the same league as the first one.

The soundtrack to the movie "Once," (and the movie itself) was great. Done primarily by Marketa Iraglova and Glen Hansard (who just released another album under the band name the Swell Season), its great acoustic driven stuff, and the success story of the movie is inspiring. Plus, I just like the movie and the music.

Sigur Ros blew everyones minds. Its beautiful stuff, and I'm really almost glad I don't speak Icelandic (or their own language, "Hopelandic"), because the sound is just so beautiful, who needs words. Takk... was kind of our initiation. I digs.

I couldn't do this list with any justice without at least a passing mention of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. I don't listen to that much Wilco (not a conscious decision, they just never entered the rotation heavily), but this album is pretty incredible. Talk about capturing a moment. Anymore hyperbole about this album might make the world explode, so I'll lay low on it. But its a beyond great record.

Now I think I might explode if I write anymore, or have to think about my own opinions. Those are some of the records I like that were put out in the last decade. Here's to looking forward to many, many more in the next one...

Happy New Year. Happy End of the Decade. Happy Beginning of the Next.

The beginning of the list...

Alright, the long promised list. If you didn't read me gush over Andrew Bird's "Armchair Apocrypha," scroll down, if thats the kind of thing your interested in. But now to move on. The comments will get briefer...no full length posts. Sorry, rest of the albums. And also, sorry, anyone who is expecting real critical analysis. Most of these albums gripped me for reasons intangible, or at least, reasons personal and relevant to where I was when I first heard them. Disclaimers out of the way, lets go...



At the Bottom of Everything; Bright Eyes, 2005

This album came to me probably around the beginning of October, pushing a year after it came out, so I was obviously late to the scene on it...but it didn't come out of my car's CD player for months. The idea that someone was still writing lyrics that were that stunning meant a heck of a lot to me, and the mood of the album really went along with all the Hemingway I was reading at the time (I was so happy that fall and winter). This was also the first time I'd really heard instrumentation used like this (remember, still a largely ignorant high school music lover at this point), and it absolutely blew me away, and probably disarmed me and took my head to a musical landscape that wouldn't have been possible otherwise. I'm surprised that there isn't a literal hole in the original burnt CD I was given. I've heard this so many times I know every subtlety of his vocals, every click or thud of the drums, every pull of a bow or blow of a trumpet or pluck or strum of a guitar string. And about those vocals, the realization that someone with something to say could basically say, screw it, I don't care what I sound like and just go do it like this...I mean, I knew who Bob Dylan was, but I was alive and kicking when this guy was making his best stuff. He still may have his best stuff hidden behind the mediocrity of the Conor Oberst stuff, and the cluster cuss of Monsters of Folk. All I know is, to me, this album was brilliance, is brilliance. Like I said, this isn't an all encompassing "These are the best albums of the decade, PERIOD!" kind of list...this is what moved me, us.



Funeral; Arcade Fire, 2004

Man, if I was oblivious to Bright Eyes when they were given to me, to the Arcade Fire, I was totally blind in 2004. Finding all of this stuff and being given all of this stuff long after seemingly everyone else in the world knew how awesome it is doesn't gain me any cool points, admittedly, but it was a fun experience. Like stumbling into this amazing world of amazing music, and frequently, amazing (or at least very intriguing) people. This album has everything intangible that one could wish for. A sense of urgency, of sadness and somehow triumph, a musical landscape that is nothing sort of grandeur. Incredible instrumentation. Everyone and their brother has already lavished this album and this band with about as much praise as we can possibly stand (probably more), but we can't say its not deserved. Brilliance.



Keep It Together; Guster, 2003

I saw Guster at the Beale Street Festival one year, and knew them in a vague sense before that. Meaning, I knew I had friends that liked them, and I liked the rest of those friends musical preferences, so I figured, hey, lets go check these guys out. Best accidental band discovery ever. I proceeded to buy this album later that week, and this is another that I think I could recreate from memory (given, you know, half their talent), I've heard it so many times. I listened to it over and over and over again. Some records, your just damn impressed with the musical prowess of the creators, or the lyrical ingenuity. Sometimes its just an emotional connection, and this is one of those for me. I love it. The songs aren't really challenging. Some are even almost pop songs. Almost because, well, pop now means whatever's in the top 40, and this is certainly not anything like Lady Gaga's newest effort. Such solid songwriting, incredible vocal harmonies going on, trailing off in directions I wouldn't have thought of before, and so many moments that just grip my imagination, my consciousness. I know this isn't a band tailor fit for critical acclaim, but this is my list, damit. I love this album.



Say I Am You; the Weepies, 2006.

My discovery of Guster and consequent non-stop listening to them goes hand in hand with my discovery of the Weepies, and, particularly, this album. It was the same time period, one spring/summer/early fall. The Weepies are almost too cute and calm for me to talk about and retain a semblance of masculinity, but thats OK. Two folkish singer-songwriters meet, start writing songs together, fall in love, live in a cottage in Topanga, CA (how picturesque, right?), and eventually have a cute little baby. This is the opposite of rock and roll, and its refreshing because, frankly, I've never been that hung up on the rock and roll image thing. Good music is good music, and this is beautiful music. Its simple, delicate pop, with elements of folk. A male and female voice intertwining over simple chords and instrumentation that sounds like my perfect Saturday afternoon, relaxed somewhere on a trail or in a kayak or on a bike in the woods or something. Its not music that makes you sit up and take notice of how brilliant the composers are (though these aren't just two lovers hidden in the California countryside with some mics, wine, and ProTools; there's a lot more going on that that musically); its music that fits life. Maybe thats why when I checked my "most played" list in iTunes the other day, these guys were number one. The whole album. Its not my favorite album ever, but it somehow just fits with the basically quiet, simple life that I have from day to day (the life I love to live). And thats why I love it...it fits those moments in its quiet, popish way.

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OK, the last of the albums will come tomorrow.

A recap

So it has been about twenty days since this was updated. Its been about as busy a twenty days as anyone can ask for, or wish upon someone else. Depending on how you wanna view it.

The Dec 8th show at the Bama Theatre with some of our Hackberry Records was a fantastic evening. Thanks to all who came, and to Josh and Allison, and Stuart and Rachel...it was fantastic, and we look forward to many more evenings like that. Some great things going on there.

The 10th and 11th were spent at Old Capitol Recording here in Tuscaloosa. We tracked the basics of the new album (drums, bass, guitar), and the tracks are now being obsessed over by yours truly. Things are starting to come along, but thats not a part of the recap...or at least this part. This was probably the last thing that Mr. Daniel Walker will ever do with Callooh! Callay!, apart from potential future guest appearances. He's still a close friend to everyone in the band, and all we can collectively say to Dan is good luck, and we love you. This separation has nothing to do with an argument, nothing to do with animosity, nothing to do with anything but a life going in a different direction (i.e., the Air Force). I'll miss that guy, both when I hold a guitar and when I'm just around. But he's still got a while before he goes (who would have guessed mass amounts of people would join the military during a recession? Whaaaa?)...so all is not lost (yet)!

Saturday the 12th, we went down to the grand city of Mobile, AL to play the Blind Mule. Very cool venue, exceedingly nice staff and soundguy...crappiest weather you could ask for, short of a full on hurricane. Man that was a bunch of rain. So, as might be guessed, the turnout was a little on the low side. Eh, win some, lose some. Both, against the weather, and with the crowds. But this night, the win went squarely to the weather.

The Tuesday after that, it was a trek to Athens, GA. Our first trek. We played at Caledonia Lounge with two local acts, Boo Ray and Fire Zuave. Fire Zuave kind of helped us put the show together, and aside from being some of the nicest guys around, they are a fantastic band. I'm under the impression (thanks to some online sources) that Kevin Barnes (of of Montreal fame) produced, or heavily helped with, their last album, and they are quality. Don't let that name drop fool you into thinking they are an of Montreal cookie cut, either...not at all. Do yourself a favour and look them up.

In the midst of this holiday season, we have spent heavy, heavy amounts of time on these recordings. Polishing them up, adding more, polishing again, considering how the hell we're actually going to get it through production and out to the world (assuming we don't settle for a free online release; read: we won't). We are so thrilled about how things are going. We have nothing but the biggest ambitions, for this album and ourselves. I've written before that I'm pleased with how C!C! has progressed since this time last year, and working on these songs is a fitting way for us to end 2009.

There will be more posts to come. The long awaited list of our albums of this decade. That will be up before New Years Day. Promise. Now to burn off some of this laziness, go to Barnes and Noble, buy this, read it, and get ready.

Apologies, apologies

So I promised something like "Every Friday, we'll write about one of our favorite albums from the last ten years!" and then utterly failed on it. Dan had promised me his take on one of his favorites, but we never quite connected on getting that done. More will come, I promise, and before the clock hits midnight to ring in 2010, you'll have seen our list. PROMISE.

We're coming up on quite the busy week. Things kick off Tuesday with our show at the Bama Theatre. Its part of the Hackberry Records acoustic showcase, and as always, that means that it will be an excellent night of music (if we can remember how to play our instruments and my voice doesn't take a hard turn down into even crappierness). Joshua Folmar and Sparrow and the Ghost will be playing, and we are nothing short of ecstatic about hearing both those acts. We don't know Josh quite as well, but Sparrow and the Ghost is Stuart Bond and Rachael Roberts, and those two, we know-both from the Still Guns and, well, life. But we're sure both sets will be fantastic, and a chance for people to really see unique talent on display. This is the perfect place to see both of them-its not a smoky, noisy bar, its the beautiful Bama Theatre, and there, people are generally quite and respectful while you play your tunes, and we thank them a million times over for that, because its a nice environment to have every once in a while, and one that will agree well with Josh and Sparrow and the Ghost. And then we'll play, bringing out the acoustics this time to play what is looking like our last show in Tuscaloosa this year. Its a good location to play the last one of the year. We'll be back at it in town in January, February at the latest, but there is something intangible to ending a year somewhere. Its been just a fantastic year for us, personally. No, we haven't had THAT much success (relatively; we're not the Motions). Our EP had about 400-450 downloads, in all transparency-of-popularity, and thats a modest success, I suppose. Our shows don't really generate that much Tuscaloosa buzz, but thats OK. We've gotten out of town more than once, and are really amping that up in the immediate future. We feel like this year was one of learning and developing for us, and hopefully laid a good foundation for the one(s) to come. But maybe I'll write our year in review later.

So, Tuesday we hit the Hackberry Records showcase, which should be great. $3, and the event itself is a fundraiser for the Good Samaritan Clinic here in Tuscaloosa, which provides free healthcare for the underprivileged. So come get in the Christmas spirit and see your cover charge go to something besides, you know, us. We're pumped to know that we're helping support like that. Wednesday night, we'll take our gear over to Old Capitol Recordings and set it up, because on Thursday we're starting tracking on our album. Thats right. Our album. We're so excited about this, its just ridiculous. We're doing the meat of the recording with Shane Lollar there at Old Capitol, and then we'll work by ourselves excessively over the break to add in the little overdubs and such. The goal is to have the album basically finished by the end of the Holidays, so it'll be a late winter/early spring (being conservative) release. It WILL be released by spring, we promise that.

So Thursday and Friday, we'll be locked down recording. Saturday, we'll be driving down to Mobile for C!C!'s first appearance in that city (woohoo!) at the Blind Mule. We're really excited about this. Tuesday, we'll be in Athens, GA (thats right, half-Mecca, the other half being in Austin) at Caledonia Lounge. Man. Are we pumped for that. I'll take pictures, maybe, and post them on the other side of this crazy week. Man are we excited about this, and the year that will follow.

Recap

Well, if you missed last weeks show at Little Willies, you really missed something special, for us at least. We had a ton of fun, and feel like it was one of our best shows this year. So, yes. Much fun.

Tonight, we play at Mellow Mushroom with the Motions for the 90.7 Benefit Show. It should another great night. The Motions are a cool bunch of guys, and just a great band. They're also our label mates (Hackberry Records), so we look forward to working with them a LOT in the future.

We're picking up shows for the winter and spring. Its coming easier now. Maybe things are speeding up. It should be a fun few months!

Busy, busy week...

Well, the promised album thing obviously didn't come today. Many apologies. Never got it from Dan. I'll finish one up I've been working on and post it up here tomorrow. Dang...now there's pressure/responsibility.

We played at Coleman Coliseum tonight. Went about as well as playing on a sidewalk can go...not sarcastically said. We really enjoyed ourselves.

Tomorrow night, we hit Little Willies with the Classic Flame. We're excited about every part of that night: the venue, getting to play, and then getting to listen to a band that we personally really enjoy. Tomorrow night does have a twist though. Its the first time Callooh! Callay! will ever play without Mr. Daniel Walker. Due to the semi-last minute nature of this show, he had inescapable plans that he, well, couldn't escape from. I hope I don't feel too nekked without him up there, and I sure hope it doesn't sound too nekked without his gitfiddle playing (welcome to C!C! language world). I'm sure we'll be fine, but it will be bizarre. Gotta learn to do it sooner rather than later, though, with his named signed away to the military. Still nuts to me. But C!C! shall prevail, and tomorrow night shall be a ton of fun! Safe travels, and much fun, Mr. Walker!