Order Here: http://www.fluffandgravy.com/store/evangenitals-moby-dick-album/

Quee Queg - The Evangenitals

Late one night, I was licking my wounds in the "loser's lounge" section of Kyle Gass' Burbank condo after a brutal no-limit poker beatdown. As a courtesy to the fallen, he had this amazing econo-line Martin acoustic guitar lying around- it was so groovy. With a capo attached, it produces this lovely sort of Lindsay Buckingham/Chinese Guzheng sound, and it wasn't long before the main piece of music for "Chung King" revealed itself. 

I'd been listening to Devendra Banhart's brilliant "Cripple Crow" album for awhile and grew disappointed that I hadn't yet recorded something as organic as that record. A lot of my music is fairly ornamental, which I like, but sometimes all the bells and whistles run the risk of obscuring the heart or essence of a song without my realizing it. So "Chung King Summer" is my attempt to keep things simple and try and preserve the earthy dynamic which I'm so in love with but hadn't yet wholly incorporated into my repertoire. 

I'd been wanting to collaborate with Alanna Lin for a while. She is an excellent songwriter and one of the most genuine human beings I know. I really felt she might suit well the occasion and lend creedence to this whole 'genuine article' aesthetic I was shooting for. But she is a fleeting beauty and sometimes hard to pin down (as fine artists can be), and so it took many attempts and plenty of patience to persuade her to visit my studio in South Pasadena. When she finally arrived, I was so excited I could barely hide my enthusiasm. I'm convinced she should be famous, only the rest of the world doesn't know it yet. 

By sheer luck, it was the most beautiful day of summer 2012. There's an old enchanted magnolia tree that sits in a park by the library near the center of town. It is truly a massive wonder. I asked Alanna if she wouldn't mind shading alone under this tree for a spell with an iPod, a pen and paper. She obliged and returned a few hours later with some lyrics and a melody. Just like that. I'm a little jealous of artists who can drum up the goods in such a small amount of time. It takes me forever. Which brings me to my next thought. 

I'd had an orphan piece of music lying around for years which grew into the instrumental section at the end. I was never completely satisfied with it. As with the tree scenario, I stayed out of the way while Alanna sketched and tracked her vocals, hoping that my absence might facilitate a somewhat purer moment. When I returned, I observed that she had also spontaneously composed a keyboard string score for the end music section. To her, it was merely a device to root out melody and was never intended to stay. But it was beautiful. One of the lovliest moments on this recording happened as an afterthought. Just another one of those happy accidents that comes with making art. And I was blown away. 

With the vocals now recorded and this new unexpected emphasis on the end music, I started listening again. This time, I heard Dylan's "Nashville Skyline"- in particular, the sweet percussion found on Bob's classic "Lay Lady Lay" which served as the soundtrack to a beloved, freeing, and beautiful summer road trip across America many years ago. Summer. I asked the always reliable George Bernardo if he wouldn't mind assembling an assortment of pots and pans etc. What he returned with was even better than what I was hearing in my head. It was a delicate side of George that I'd yet to hear. With these two great artists at my side, the end result, in my mind, is one of the most beautiful and understated collaborations I've ever participated in. 

So thank you Alanna and George. 

Sincerely, 

Brett
credits
released 28 August 2013 
Alanna Lin: Vocals, Strings 
Brett Lyda: Guitars, Bass, Keyboards, Background Vocals 
George Bernardo: Percussion 

Written by Brett Lyda & Alanna Lin 
Produced by Brett Lyda 
Recorded by Brett Lyda & George Bernardo 
Mixed by David Bianco 

Chung King Summer (w/ Alanna Lin of Fascinoma) (2013)

In 2011, with a baby on the way, I commenced in earnest my desire to get this and a new album's worth of other tracks finished. I'd been fiddling with the demo for a few years, hunting and pecking and "Feet" is the latest in a long line of original songs that have been gestating for anywhere from about 5-10 years. I set up shop for a weekend at Tracy Chisholm's Del Boca Vista Studios and starting tracking drums and bass for several songs. I brought in the lock-step teamwork of funky drummer George Bernardo and bass-master supreme Jason Chesney and made comps of their best takes. Tracy helped us get a really nice dry sound, and from there, I started adding elements from the demo like the swirling synth hook, some funky guitar "chanks" and some rudimentary string parts as well as most of my lead vocal. Thanks George, Jason & Tracy.

My next stop was chameleon keyboardist Mike Feldman's house where he tried two ideas. He gave me about six passes that were all pretty sweet. I assembled two comps of his best parts, moving around a few sections, but for the most part keeping those lines nice and honest. One is a perky Hammond keyboard solo and the other, an equally stoney Rhodes solo. They were both excellent comps but how was I going to use both without overburdening the listener (or myself)? I was concerned I might have to lose some of this sublime goodness but then it occurred to me- why not to create one shorter 'single' version and a longer, jam band version with all the stuff I can't fit elsewhere? Bam. 'Problem' solved. If you really want to hear Feldman shine, check out the longer "Sax" version of "Feet" featuring some great extended keyboard parts. Thank you, Mike.

I'd been loving my recent collaborations with Fascinoma's Alanna Lin ("Chung King Summer") and I felt like this tune could really benefit from a good strong female hook. This is a formula straight from my love of Death Row producers like Dre and Daz Dillinger. I set her up in front of the mic and recorded her freestyling various phrases and melodies. For inspiration, she grabbed a nearby Storm Thorgerson photo book of much of his iconic album artwork. This is the guy responsible for many of Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd's most famous album art designs, including "Dark Side of the Moon", "Houses of the Holy", "Physical Grafitti" & "Wish You Were Here" and many, many more. In retrospect, how appropriate that she would grab THAT book since, from the outset, I had always intended this to be my "Floyd" record. And so she stood in front of the mic, book in hand, conjuring phantom melodies inspired in part by Strom. There's all sorts of interesting vocal outtakes from these Alanna sessions, but the "keep it in the desert" line really stuck with me. That line takes some very interesting turns. I love it so much that I built an orchestral string part to mirror her vocals. It marries her vocal to the track in a way that kind of seals the deal for me . So thank you, Alanna Lin.  

As if this all this goodness wasn't enough, I still had a saxophone solo from the demo that I couldn't let go of. Way back in 2007, Javier Vergara popped in for a visit to lay down some sax for the Evangenitals' "Sun Is Shining." We had a few extra minutes so I asked him if he'd lay down something on "Feet." In 2012, I took a closer look at his sax track and felt there was definitely something there that oozed 1970's psychedelia, but tend I agree with Courtney Love in that you have to be careful with the saxophone- it's really easy to fall into cliché and ruin a good rock recording with that instrument. But, Floyd did it, and for this record, it seemed wildly appropriate.  But it still needed something extra. I'd never heard a backwards saxophone before so I tried grafting Javier's forward-moving intro line with another segment of his performance which I rendered backwards. It makes it a little freakier. Can you spot where I made the switcheroo? But as with the Feldman keyboard parts, the backwards sax solo could be too much information for one song that has literally no chord changes and so I left it off the single version. You can hear Javier's excellent contribution on the "Sax" version of this song include on this EP. Thank you, Javier.

Once I had all these elements up on the canvas, I realized I still had an itch that had yet to be scratched- moog. I kept hearing a super low burpy moog synth note to play underneath those sweet Alanna hooks. Now THATS Floyd. But I can't tell you hard hard it was for me to manifest this sound from my head. Until I contacted Michael Marquesen, who always brings the secret magic spice. Moog! Thanks, Michael.

Written by Brett Lyda & Alanna Lin 
Produced by Brett Lyda 
Mixed by George Bernardo 
Recorded by Brett Lyda, Tracy Chisholm, 
Mike Feldman & George Bernardo 

Single Version: 
Brett Lyda: Vocals, Guitars, Synths
Alanna Lin: Vocals 
Jason Chesney: Bass 
Mike Feldman: Hammond, Rhodes 
George Bernardo: Drums
Michael Marquesen: Moog

Sax Version (same as above except):
Javier Vergara: Saxophone

Demo Version: 
Brett Lyda: Vocals, Synths, Gtrs 
George Bernardo: Drums
Javier Vergara: Saxophone

Feet Don't Fail Me (w/ Alanna Lin of Fascinoma) (2014)

Playful Uptempo w/ Layered Girly Harmonies - "You're Just Too Good To Be True"

Recorded Live at KJFC 89.7FM kfjc.org
The Peter Gunn Theme
Addi Somekh - Balloon Bass
Joey Maramba - Electric Bass
Danny Graziani - Violin 
WIll Logan - Drums

Peter Gunn Theme Live at KJFC

'What's In the Box'  - 2014 Global Cardboard Challenge theme song (composed by the ever-talented Juli Crockett).

Inspired by 'Caine's Arcade', the Global Cardboard Challenge is an annual event presented by the Imagination Foundation that celebrates child creativity and the role communities can play in fostering it. This September, kids of all ages are invited to build anything they can dream up using cardboard, recycled materials and imagination. Then on Saturday, October 11th, 2014 (the anniversary of the flash mob that came out to make Caine's day in the short film) communities will come together to play! 

Dedicated to all the dreamers, builders, and makers of the 2014 Global Cardboard Challenge! Feel free to use in your Cardboard Challenge trailer or video. Or make up your own song!

Want to join the 2014 Global Cardboard Challenge? 
Join here: www.cardboardchallenge.com



- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  
SONG CREDITS
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Composed by Juli Crockett (who also wrote the theme song for the Caine's Arcade short film) 
Recorded at Feldman Sound in Montecito Heights.

The Players:
Juli Crockett (vocals, kazoo, guitar, cardboard percussion)
Joey Maramba (bass, hand claps, cardboard percussion) 
Lisa Dee (vocals) 
Diedra Randolph (vocals) 
Alice Lin (hand claps) 
Michael Feldman (keyboards, kazoo, mixing, production)

The Lyrics: 
Hey, What's in the Box?
Oh Nothing... 
Nothing that's about to be Something. 
But it looks empty?
Can't you see? 
It's overflowing with possibility

Inspiration, Imagination
All around the world collaboration 
With creativity and concentration
We are building a strong foundation

1, 2, 3, 4, 
We're gonna make it into something more
4, 3, 2, 1, 
The Global Cardboard Challenge has just begun

So whatcha gonna make? 
...

Hey, What's in the Box?
Oh Nothing... 
Nothing that's about to be Something. 
But it looks empty?
Can't you see? 
It's overflowing with possibility

What's In The Box

01 I'm Walking This Road Because You Stole My Car (Don't Go)

02 I Shot Neil Young

05 Straight Up

It’s humid. There are hundreds of mosquitoes taking samples of you. The water flows languidly, almost tumbling over itself in heaps. Even the grass is despondent. What can you do? If you’re Brett Lyda, aka Elvis Orbison and the singer-songwriter for Soft Surfaces, you wait. Patiently. Sooner or later something will move, letting you know it’s time. Time to move your index finger from the B string to the G. Then you wait some more. There’s no hurry. You want to make sure it feels just right. And just right is just how Invisible Me feels. Like love: unplanned, serendipitous. It just feels...good, I’m guessing, is the word Mr. Lyda is thinking, in the gorgeously sleepy "Friend Like Me". But of course it need not be said. The feeling is all over this record. Even in the sad numbers, the implication is that all is well, or at least as it should be. I think it’s safe to say that Elvis Orbison lives up to its name, at least on a genealogical level. Using a moniker scoured from the remains of a John Lennon interview, Mr. Lyda has performed no small feat of alchemy in combining his father’s and mother’s (respectively) two favorite singers in a quip coined by a member of his own all-time favorite group.

Feet Don't Fail Me (w/ Alanna Lin of Fascinoma) (2014)

Elvis Orbison

Related tracks