So I just got back from a meeting with the guys at Velvet Farm Records. I don't know if anyone has mentioned it yet, but they're gonna be doing the digital distribution for our next album. We're really pumped about working with them so you should be too! ;)
The two main guys that run it are Jason Bradford and Hunter Lamb. Jason has a long history in the music business from the recording side all the way to the web/marketing side of the industry. Hunter played in Paramore and currently plays in another band called Caleb right now. Between the two of them, they've got some great connections that will help us a lot when the time comes to release the new album. I'm sure you all are probably tired of hearing us talk about finishing the album "soon." I know, I know. Its taken FOREVER to get this thing to completion. All of us in the band are so ready to be done with this process. But we are VERY pleased with how's its shaping up and I think you all will be too. The guy that's mixing our album did the Kadawatha EP that I mentioned in a previous blog about my favorite albums of the last year. Needless to say, we were stoked when we found that he was able and willing to mix our new album!
As of now, we're looking to possibly have a CD release show here in Nashville somewhere around the middle of July (but you might be able to get it from us quite a bit sooner if you see us at show before then *wink wink*.....)
Well as a special treat to those that read this and care about what goes on in Manic Bloomville, I'll give you a sneak peak at one of the new tracks thats called Death and Conversation. You can listen here.
Until next time,
Brink
Well, we arrived back in Nashville this morning around 1am, and it was a great week down in Austin for Red Gorilla Festival and SXSW Festival. We played at a corner rock joint called The Thirsty Nickel. It was a decent size place and we pretty much packed it out. The show was going along nicely, but we did have a fun little twist in the end when the power went out. We were playing Running from the Scene when right before the last chorus, the power cuts and all we hear is guitar and bass....no vocals, no keys and no mics on the drums. It was a beautiful disaster to say the least!
We, Manic Bloom, were engulfed in an interesting audio capsule. What we heard from stage was amazing! David climbed the half fence/guard rail on stage and lead the Manic Bloom warriors into the last chorus with no microphone and screaming at the top of his lungs while Matt and I played on with just some stage monitor volume. To hear a crowd singing our own song was aural bliss.
We were very rushed for set up, had a cramped stage, had to cut 2 songs because of time constraints and we lost power, but even with those odds against us, we were blessed to have one of the best and most entertaining times on stage. Thank you Red Gorilla!
Other highlights of the trip included:
-We had a interview at the SESAC Brunch with John Norris, who has been with MTV for years and he has recently started a new company called Noisevox.org
-We ran into Vern Troyer (Mini Me from Austin Powers)
-Brink, Matt, Andy, and David took the wrong bus to a show--missed the show and proceeded to be lost and stuck on the bus for an hour.
-David got a dead bird stuck to his foot and had trouble shaking it loose...hope he doesn't have bird flu.
-many more stories to follow from this adventure in the future.
We are very glad to announce that we have finished recording the album and are now having it mixed. Soon the mastering will take place and hope in the next month or two, we will have a brand new shinny record in your hands. We love you all and with out you, again, these things would not be possible. Thanx and please write us comment to let us know how you are doing or if you have any requests for us.
Much Love,
AndiRoo
Manic Bloom
I just took a stroll through the past couple months worth of MB blogs, and realized we haven't given an old fashioned update on the progress of the new EP in quite some time. We've gotten a number of emails/facebook messages/etc lately (which we love! Keep talking to us! We try to respond to everyone - please be patient with us...) asking us how the process is going.
Some of pre-ordered it while the website said it should be available in January - and you're probably wondering where your shiny new CD is! Well... We're still working! And we're incredibly close...
We're finishing up with the recording part - there's a little bit of bass and vocals left to record - but mainly we're just cleaning things up to get it ready for mixing. If we have our way, it'll be on a mixer's desk in less than two weeks. That, and the stuff after that (mastering, manufacturing, etc) will take some time, but at least the light at the end of the tunnel is getting closer!
We've got SHOWS coming up! Hard Rock Cafe in Nashville this saturday - playing with Halo Stereo and Option//Control, and it should be an awesome show! We'll be playing some of the new songs, and hanging out, so you should be there!
The comments and messages we get from you motivate us in ways we can't thank you enough for! I'm getting really excited about letting you hear the new record!
-David
MB
I just uploaded a goofy new video on YouTube, so you guys should check it out. We always want to make sure that Knighty stays healthy.
Matt
-Manic Bloom
I'm incredibly excited to share something with you! A little over a year ago, we filmed one of our live shows at The Rutledge in Nashville, which is what you see on the Running From the Scene video we have online. A buddy of mine, Micah "Dusty" Braden (my brother's best friend when we were growing up), said he had some ideas, so we gave him some of the footage. He's been working on it for quite a while, but the wait was worth it, because I think the video is incredible. You tell me!
Manic Bloom - Tonight's When I Say Goodbye on YouTube
I love it. He's an incredibly creative dude, and we're lucky that he decided to pour some of that creativity into a video for us!
We have nick names for some of our songs. You've probably figured out that TWISG stands for "Tonight's When I Say Goodbye." If you ever see our set list written out, you'd see some other ones - "Running From The Scene" is Reggae (because it was originally written with a Reggae style - the intro on the CD is the way it sounded the first time Matt played it!); we call "What Scares You Most" Trunk because in the beginning stages of the writing process it felt really aggressive - like someone was getting shoved into the trunk of a car. There are others, but you'll have to ask us about them! Just thought you might like a little inside info!
Recording is coming along nicely - we're almost there!! WE CAN'T WAIT to let you hear it!
Just got back from a Superbowl party at Matt's house. I don't know anything about sports, but I can get into some Superbowl commercials... Of what I saw, the Dorritos commercials topped the list. Who's with me?
Is it just me, or do you find yourself working better under stress and pressure or by the sheer delight of no deadlines. I have just been thinking about how in my life, and I think I speak for all of Manic Bloom that our lives don't know what it is like to not have "the next step" or that "deadline". How do we go through this whole life with the knowledge and understanding of what we think we want in life, then we blink and 2 months,...a year....5 years have already passed us by...while all along we are still driving for "the task at hand" to deliver us from our current situation into a better one.
I know that I can't be the only one feeling this way...please share your thoughts on why we don't work well as humans under "normal" but we seem to thrive under "must get this done" or under "life is good, it is time to chill" Granted, I want to have more of "life is good, time to chill" but seems like with today's need for speed with social marketing and "i think I'm going to die if Reginald doesn't update his Twitter from 13 minutes ago"....it seems we are headed in the direction of Artificial Neural Audio and Video overload.
What if we all moved to Canada or the great wilderness and lived off the fat of the land....I guess some day we would again be right back where we are today...but it would be nice to try it some thing to bring us back to simplicity.
Much love, and hope to get some insight from all of you on the hustle and bustle of your lives.
Roo
Manic Bloom
So, 2009 has come and gone. Crazy. I don’t know where last year went. I can’t believe we’re almost a full month into 2010! Looking back on this last year, I wanted to share with you all some of my favorite bands and albums from 2009. Maybe you’ll find a new band that you didn’t know you loved? Hope you all enjoy.
30 Seconds to Mars – This Is War
I liked their second album, A Beautiful Lie, but I LOVE this one. The songwriting has matured and is incredibly catchy and powerful. Kanye West even made an appearance on the song “Hurricane” and I actually like it.
Spotlight Tracks: “Kings and Queens”, “Search and Destroy”, and “Alibi”.
Kadawatha
Kadawatha is fronted by a Sri Lankian dude named Daniel Kadawatha. I absolutely love how his music so epic. The piano and vocal melodies truly soar. I don’t think Kadawatha has released a full length album. But I do know that demos exist somewhere out there. I’d go to www.myspace.com/danielkadawatha to listen to his music.
Spotlight Tracks: “Agape” and “Gonna Stay”.
Merced – Hotel Prescott
These guys are from the Music City just like we are. I don’t think they are together anymore. At least from what I can see they aren’t. This album came out in July of 2007 but I didn’t get really into them until the beginning of this year. Let’s hope these guys have more music coming out some day. You can find them on MySpace or iTunes. www.myspace.com/mercedmusic
Spotlight Tracks: “Circles” and “Daylight”
Chevelle – Sci Fi Crimes
I’ve been a Chevelle fan for quite some time now. Anyone who likes rock I’m sure is familiar with these guys. There have been some lineup changes in the past, but they still make incredible music. This newest album, Sci Fi Crimes, could be my favorite of all that they’ve done. When you’re in the mood for heavy guitar riffs and powerful melodies, throw in some Chevelle. They never disappoint.
Spotlight Tracks: “Sleep Apnea”, “Jars”, and “Letter From a Thief”.
Paramore – Brand New Eyes
Another Nashville (or Franklin, TN) band. I really liked Riot!. Brand New Eyes doesn’t disappoint either. Hayley’s vocals are incredible and they’ve got energy like no other. When you’re in the mood for great pop-punk, check ‘em out.
Spotlight Tracks: “Careful”, “Turn It Off”, “Looking Up”, and “All I Wanted”.
These are a few of samples of what I really liked listening to this last year. What about you guys? What were some of your favorite artists and bands from this 2009?
Much love,
Brink
"I cannot fix on the hour, or the spot, or the look, or the words, which laid the foundation. It is too long ago. I was in the middle before I knew that I had begun.''
- Fitzwilliam Darcy (Pride and Prejudice)
It’s hard for me to find peace in routine. I say that, honestly, speaking out of both sides of my mouth. I mean, hear me when I say that there is undeniably a lot of comfort to be found in schedule and repetition. But what I’m getting at has more to do with a deeper sense of living. I don't like doing the same thing for too long, in fact I’d go so far as to say that I’m a bit of a nomad…and I’m not just talking jobs or places to live. I’m speaking more so emotionally than anything. I find myself intentionally “rocking the boat” in my own life so as to hopefully feel more engaged and enthralled with the things and/or people surrounding me. It’s not a fixation on antagonism…God knows how much I hate conflict…but more about having the guts to live out a better story than I would were I to sit back to watch life mosey on by. Often it feels cavalier, but as I look back at my time here in Nashville, I kinda smile at all the things I’ve been able to do….and most of it has to do with this band.
You see, I often wonder what in the world I’d be doing had I not decided to leave Texas to try and make a living doing something I truly love. Don’t get me wrong, I will always be fascinated with the things I studied in college (biology/chemistry), but it can’t even begin to hold a candle to my interest in music. I don’t know where it came from, or the day it arrived, or the place it sunk it, or the song with which it captured me. All I know is that it was just there, always waiting…waiting for the right time to rear its head and disrupt my routine. To wake me up from the drone of what my life was becoming. I was in the middle of it before I even knew what had happened.
How often I find it like this in life…in love…in faith…in what really matters.
This song was born from the work I’ve been doing on the album version of “Never Back Down.” It came to me during the waning hours of Christmas Eve as I was literally in the middle of things on NBD. It was such an enjoyable moment that I felt compelled to stop and record it. The next day I gave it away as a gift to someone for whom I care deeply. I often wonder if it’s message was ever fully received.
Hildee
S'been a quick minute since I have shared a thought on MB blog, so wanted to get some fan input on something. For the 5 of us in Manic Bloom, the Christmas season is a "slow" time in the music industry. From Thanksgiving to New Year, it just seems to shut down. HOWEVER....
I just read a blog of one of my friends who said his team wanted to take advantage of the Christmas Itunes rush, and they decided to do it around Thanksgiving. Of course giving the artist only 4 weeks to finish writing, recording, mix/master, and present his product; this didn't present much time for such a grand project....long story, short>>> He not only got the recordings done, but was able to place something like 17th best selling for the Christmas season on Itunes. WOW! I was blown away with that, but it shows that someone can go against the yearly Vicious Cycle that the Record Industry seems to hold over all of our heads and it makes me already anxious to see if Manic Bloom might do something similar next Christmas season.
Be well my Bloomers and please let us know your comments on maybe a New Years Resolution of breaking a Vicious Cycle that you feel has been holding you back from being a better person.
Much Love,
AndiRoo
Manic Bloom
I've lived in the Nashville area for the past 7ish years, and we've had maybe a total of 4 inches of snow on the ground in that time. Sigh. I grew up in Kentucky - only 2 hours north of Nashville - and we had good snows every year, so I've been craving some good snow-ball/man/angel/sled/etc weather. I'm up in Ky for the next couple of days, and I'm hoping that the white stuff might fall from the sky while I'm here. COME ON SNOW!
Besides not getting to make a fort with my 30 year old brothers, this Christmas has been great. Hanging out with family, eating too much food, failing miserably at a 3000 piece puzzle, all that good stuff. I'm pretty sad to see how much of America (maybe the world - I don't know how other countries are acting) treats Christmas nowadays, though. All commercialism, no substance. I feel like Linus in the Charlie Brown Christmas special, wanting to jump up on some sort of stage and scream "You're missing the point!"
The point of Christmas is NOT getting stuff! It's not stuffing our faces. It's not even the whole 'tiny tots with their eyes all aglow' stuff. It's called CHRISTmas for a reason. The whole thing is because Jesus Christ was born. I have a number of atheist friends that don't believe He was more than just another man and still celebrate "Christmas" - and that's cool. But we have to agree that that's where this day gets it's roots, and that it's not supposed to be about trampling people at a shopping mall in attempts to save twenty dollars on a color printer. And regardless, hopefully we can all at least get past the commercialism and spend time with each other, reflect on the past, and look hopeful at the future.
So here I am 15 minutes before midnight, hoping you all had a Merry Christmas, and are getting to spend it with people that you love. What did YOU do this Christmas?
Look Dad Creative
