Years ago, apparently almost 6 years ago, Kevin told me a story that if I remember correctly, he attributed to Brian Wilson (I couldn’t find it online but I’m no private investigator), wherein Wilson, on being asked for the whatevereth time when the record, presumably Pet Sounds, was gonna be done, would just hit the button on a tape recorder he had, cueing his pre-recorded, and I guess exhausted reply. 

While organizing project files etc. as I’ve been finishing up, I re-found this the other day and so posting now, six years later, mostly ‘cause I’m running out of time for my own old-man joke.

A To Q as of 09/17/13

CHIRP Radio, an awesome community radio station, asked on Twitter "Who has not released an album in years that you would love new music from?" to which someone very sweetly replied "the wrens". But CHIRP's orig. post had this animated gif of notes going by: ||: B C A | (low) D E (high) G :||. 
You can see that here: https://twitter.com/CHIRPRadio/status/1290349922936594433

So since I was already plugged in, I recorded that w/ the built-in computer mic, put in a chord prog., added another part and presto, now the wrens HAVE released new music! (ha)

CHIRP Radio Gif On Twitter 8:6:20

I posted about this the other day, but this is the Christmas-y carol, Oh Holy Night (my childhood fave), that I did for Al Crisafulli’s Signal to Noise show last night on WFDU, it’s his end-of-year one which he modestly bills as the Second-Best Holiday Show on College Radio (pitting himself after Jon Solomon's 25-hour marathon one on the equally wonderful WPRB in Princeton)

The entire show is now archived here: https://www.mixcloud.com/Sugarblast/signal-to-noise-12-20-20-2020-holiday-special/
and also features exclusive-to-the-show songs & messages from Sohrab Habibion (Savak), Nick & Lysa (of Radiant Point/Mr. Payday/Silence On The Other End), & a bunch of others, as well as a ten-lords-a-leaping’s-worth of great holiday songs, largely of the rockish persuasion.

I’m only listening now myself - Sunday night was a little...wait, is Sunday only last night? I guess that shows how Sunday night was..

But also putting mine up separately (w/ disclaimer - ha) because, well really just because, since the 10-year-belabored album’s done, it was actually almost fun (almost) to be able to say ‘yes’ to something, to something else, and more importantly, be able to whip through it in two evenings last week (more on that via the link below). In part, I was able to do it quickly (for me) ‘cause I’d already been doing this song in any solo show that fell within like two months either side of the holiday season for years. And admittedly, ‘cause Oh Holy Night was written in 1847, so much of the heavy time-intensive lifting was already done for me (or looked at another way, even this one cover took me 173 years).

Anyway, here it is [cues archangels]..... 

And here’s even more of the even longer, more boring back story on why you’re hearing another song inexplicably fade in, fade out again at the beginning etc.: www.wrens.com/news-etc/2020/12/21/o-holy

And, beyond all that, and more importantly, I hope your holidays are a peaceful & loving delight. You deserve it.

charles

[I can’t post a recent photo ‘cause the phone’s broken so here’s one of the home studio in 2013 when it was newly re-set-up post-the-family-move (still in Brooklyn) and a mere 3 years into the album - ha].

TheWrens

Popular tracks