Colophon is a live studio project by Macro, Scatterbrain, Volum and myself (the fisherman).

It's the 4 of us in the echoplex, jamming completely live.

Nothing is presequenced, just midi sync between some of the gear.

I could give you a list of the actual gear in use, but that would be kind of hard, because these sessions happened over 3 years, where we would all meet, get drunk 'n stoned and jam it on...and also, we did a lot of moving around the studio,  changing what gear we were playing at the time and generally having a lot of fun.

a partial list of what i remember to be in the studio during (or around) the time these recordings were made: 
sequential circuits pro-one, yamaha sy35, roland s50/s550/juno60/106/mc303/tb505, alesis HR16/Andromeda A6, access virus b, korg ms20/z1/electribe A/R, novation bass station, Tascam Portastudio 488 (I think that's the model) & da20, soundcraft spirit studio 16, few mackie 1202s, grip of fx units including alesis midiverb & quadrverba, lexicon mpx1 and a pair of alesis monitor ones.  also an atari 1040st, windows desktop/laptop & radius or umax mac clone.

Occasionally there was someone sitting in on the session, like lexaunculpt on a few tracks on 'hardly ever crawl'. 

Most of these jam fests were recorded to either dat or multi track tape, which was later transfered to the computer and trimmed to these LPs by macro, in peak or soundforge.

The main thing removed was the 4 of us searching for sounds, which is usually random, off beat and kinda fuckered up sounding. :-/

End result was 3 LPs (in the order they were done (1998,1999,2000)):  the orange one (never got named as far as I know), 'hardly ever crawl' and 'trees'.

These LPs were made for your enjoyment.  They were never sent to any labels, nor any real attempt at mass production or distribution. just burned / printed by us and given out to our friends along with anyone who wanted them (or we could pawn free music too!) :D

They're all a mix of crazyness, with many different genera.  mainly ambient, IDM, triphop 'ish stuff if I had to nail it down.

Nuff of me rambling...

here we go! 

brock aka the fisherman.

ps.  I hope you enjoy them, and if you feel like sending me email
     to tell me that they're awful and I should stop posting such 
     kaka (or that you actually like them!), drop me mail 
     at hoover4ever@gmail.com
	 
pps. nov 2009	 

Colophon is a live studio project by Macro, Scatterbrain, Volum and myself (the fisherman).

It's the 4 of us in the echoplex, jamming completely live.

Nothing is presequenced, just midi sync between some of the gear.

I could give you a list of the actual gear in use, but that would be kind of hard, because these sessions happened over 3 years, where we would all meet, get drunk 'n stoned and jam it on...and also, we did a lot of moving around the studio, changing what gear we were playing at the time and generally having a lot of fun.

a partial list of what i remember to be in the studio during (or around) the time these recordings were made:
sequential circuits pro-one, yamaha sy35, roland s50/s550/juno60/106/mc303/tb505, alesis HR16/Andromeda A6, access virus b, korg ms20/z1/electribe A/R, novation bass station, Tascam Portastudio 488 (I think that's the model) & da20, soundcraft spirit studio 16, few mackie 1202s, grip of fx units including alesis midiverb & quadrverba, lexicon mpx1 and a pair of alesis monitor ones. also an atari 1040st, windows desktop/laptop & radius or umax mac clone.

Occasionally there was someone sitting in on the session, like lexaunculpt on a few tracks on 'hardly ever crawl'.

Most of these jam fests were recorded to either dat or multi track tape, which was later transfered to the computer and trimmed to these LPs by macro, in peak or soundforge.

The main thing removed was the 4 of us searching for sounds, which is usually random, off beat and kinda fuckered up sounding. :-/

End result was 3 LPs (in the order they were done (1998,1999,2000)): the orange one (never got named as far as I know), 'hardly ever crawl' and 'trees'.

These LPs were made for your enjoyment. They were never sent to any labels, nor any real attempt at mass production or distribution. just burned / printed by us and given out to our friends along with anyone who wanted them (or we could pawn free music too!) :D

They're all a mix of crazyness, with many different genera. mainly ambient, IDM, triphop 'ish stuff if I had to nail it down.

Nuff of me rambling...

here we go!

brock aka the fisherman.

ps. I hope you enjoy them, and if you feel like sending me email
to tell me that they're awful and I should stop posting such
kaka (or that you actually like them!), drop me mail
at hoover4ever@gmail.com

pps. written nov 2009

In The Jaws Of A Homodont is an improvisational one man experimental no-fi post-noise cruft econo shitcore band. 

All noise created using: a guitar, a guitar multiple effects pedal, an amp. 

Recorded using: a phone.


I am just trying to make music so awful that you cry from laughter and pain and mental illness. The schizophrenic kind though, not the autistic kind. It isn't karaoke, its hell being emitted from my face hole. I do not take ownership of ANY non-vocal audio in my covers. 

hey guys, this is my private/personal soundcloud for ideas and rough recordings, rehearsals, uni work etc etc. 
the quality is pretty awful, it's kind of like my musical notebook haha

if you want my "professional" soundcloud for my solo shit, it's soundcloud.com/LGSurge and my facebook is facebook.com/LGSurge (:

“You love pop songs about love more than being in love in the first place.” 

The opening line on This Many Boyfriends’ debut album tells you an awful lot about them. For their lives are so wrapped up in the magic of pop music that untangling the two can be tricky. After all, this is a band named after a Beat Happening song. A band who reference You Can’t Hide Your Love Forever, Come On Feel The Lemonheads and Searching For The Young Soul Rebels in the space of one verse. And a band who see nothing wrong in singing about Cribs singles box sets or the noble art of scrawling “Tina Weymouth” on your shirt in permanent black marker pen. 

To listen to them you’d think they take pop music very seriously indeed. But they don’t – in fact they think that the problem with pop at the moment is it takes itself far too seriously … 

“Bands don’t seem to realise how ridiculous music is when they’re performing,” laughs singer and TMB founder Richard. “Too many bands think what they’re doing really matters to the world. But if you take it so seriously then the music will suffer. That’s why our mission statement is just to be as melodic and simple as possible, rather than sit there making awkward seven minute soundscapes.”

When This Many Boyfriends formed in Leeds in 2009 they didn’t have a problem with keeping things simple. Inspired by watching bands like The Vaselines and the Wedding Present on YouTube and thinking “we could do that”, Richard decided to form his own for a laugh. Pretty soon a band emerged – a six piece line-up including a reluctant glockenspiel player and a reputation for riotous gigs. Tom, who only got hold of a bass guitar so he could join the band, remembers those early shows fondly. 

“They were ramshackle to the point of comedic,” he grins. “We had to be very energetic to distract people from the fact some of us were still learning our instruments back then.”

Reaction to the band’s early shows were, shall we say, “mixed”. “You were shit!” said their first producer Alan Smyth, before adding, somewhat fortunately: “But your songs were great.” 

And great they most definitely are. You see what This Many Boyfriends lacked in training they made up for in taste. Between the members – a four-piece comprising Richard, Tom, guitarist Daniel and drummer Laura, as well as new recruit Ben on guitar – their record collections were stuffed with the sounds of Orange Juice, The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart, Patti Smith, Pavement and the Strokes. They embarked on a mission to replicate their heroes. You can hear the post-punk, C86 and some of the catchiest Motown numbers running through the likes of I Should Be A Communist or Young Lovers Go Pop!.

“Every song we write is us trying to be someone else,” admits Richard gleefully, “and we always get it wrong. But what comes out ends up being good anyway!” 

The aim was to write songs with a universal appeal, although when we say “universal” we are talking about the This Many Boyfriends definition of the word. 

“It’s about making people want to form bands,” says Richard. “For us, being universal is not about making everything perfect or selling millions of records. It’s about leaving mistakes and fumbles in and making people feel like they can do it themselves. I still don’t know what a time signature is but that shouldn’t stop anyone from forming a band.” 

If the band were looking for a producer to combine their love of sweet melodies with a DIY rough’n’readiness then they were in luck – Ryan Jarman of the Cribs had declared himself a fan and he wasn’t going to go about auto-tuning their personality out of existence. Ryan and the band were clearly a match made in heaven when it came to recording ‘This Many Boyfriends’ although, as the band admit, it was strange entering the studio with him at first as most of the band had the Cribs down as one of their favourite groups of all time. Daniel, the closest thing This Many Boyfriends have to a virtuoso, even taught himself guitar listening to the Cribs. 

“I think we share a similar ethos with them, a garage punk mentality,” he says. “They sing about stuff I can relate to, but for me I love the sound of their guitars – really catchy riffs and rhythms.” 

“It was intimidating working with Ryan at first,” admits Richard. “But once we got over our fandom we saw him as a kindred spirit. He liked all the stuff we liked, and he really cared - he took a lot of time and effort over getting it right.” 

Ryan performed bits of keyboard on the record and came up with a vocal melody for closing track Everything, as well as making sure the band’s shouty passages (“We all got bullied at school! Some of us just took it better!” goes one memorable chorus) ended up suitably scrappy. 

If the band were starstruck at first working with Ryan, imagine how they felt seeing studio owner Edwyn Collins – someone Richard says he’s “spent a lifetime trying to be” – dropping in on their sessions ...

“He walked in while we were mixing I Don’t Like You (Cos You Don’t Like The Pastels)”, says a dizzy Richard. “He just said ‘punk rock’” 

“It was pretty amazing hanging out with Edwyn,” adds Laura, who shared several tea breaks with him in the studio lounge. “And it was definitely strange sitting there watching Deal Or No Deal with him while he slagged off Noel Edmonds. I kept thinking: ‘I never really had this moment in my life plan.’” 

Sharing a teapot with the same guy you’re singing songs about in the booth down the hall is indeed a pretty surreal state of affairs. But then in many ways the fact the band litter their songs with musical references to their heroes makes perfect sense. In fact, writing so passionately about a love of pop is probably as honest as songwriting gets – doesn’t every songwriter get started through a love of pop itself? 

“It just came naturally to us,” agrees Richard. “We just love other people’s records so much we wanted to get them into our own. It makes more sense to sing about records people know rather than, say, straightforward love songs to some random person.” 

It’s a point of pride that the vocals come through crystal clear on the whole of ‘This Many Boyfriends’, rather than being buried in the mix somewhere. And whereas the band wear their fandom on their sleeves, please don’t think they’re overly referential – their pop lust is often combined with a razor sharp wit. On the song I Don’t Like You (‘Cos You Don’t Like The Pastels), for instance, Richard muses: “I didn’t leave when you said you didn’t like Springsteen. I didn’t even flinch when you said you hated the Go-Betweens. But what you said about Baby Honey was truly unforgivable…” 

Hearing these songs and reference points feels like being granted instant access to the best fanclub on earth. A club filled with people you can have a laugh with rather than lofty popstars who want to keep you at arms length. The band talk about being handed fanzines after gigs or getting into long conversations about indie records with people who’ve obviously heard the lyrics and felt a kinship with the band performing them. 

This Many Boyfriends, you see, are a rare kind of band. Like the Smiths or Belle and Sebastian, they’re a band that actually mean something. A band that feel like your band. Most importantly, they’re a band you should hold close to your heart … then form your own group and write a song about them, obviously.

If anyone calls us twee or cutesy we'll knock their block off.

A boneyard of ideas lost to time and procrastination.

Thanks for Listening! 
- Tyler

New Album! - 
www.aaronparnellbrown.com

#WhatisSoul

Bio:
Aaron Brown’s bold sensitivity as a vocalist and a songwriter has garnered him favorable comparisons to Amos Lee, Otis Redding, Sam Cooke, and Ben Harper.  The Philly-based artist draws from a refreshingly eclectic blend of blues, folk, rock n’ roll, and his hometown’s distinguished heritage of soul and, more recently, indie rock.  His captivating solo acoustic performances and incendiary full-band outings have helped him build an impressive profile among audiences and critics alike. Bruce Warren, WXPN (from NPR Music, 10 Artists You Should Have Known) raves: "Singer-songwriter Aaron (Parnell) Brown is an exciting new name to add to the lineage of the city's expressive and emotionally intense soul singers.”

Aaron Parnell Brown's (formerly Aaron & The Spell) debut, Sing, includes a stunning mix of honeyed ballads and simmering soul. The album was written during an emotionally raw time when Brown’s previous band broke up, his longtime relationship unraveled, and he moved to a new town. He took solace in crafting Sing and there is a soulful catharsis to songs like “Don’t Cry,” which has been played regularly on WXPN, and “A Beating Heart,” which recently won the Independent Music Award in the Adult Contemporary Song category.  Brown has also been nominated for a Tri State Indie Music Award, named “Artist to Watch” in 2013 by Ticket Magazine/Montgomery Media, and listed as one of the “10 Artists You Should Have Known In 2012” on NPR Music.


Press:
____________

Album Review -
Sometimes it takes life taking unexpected twists and turns that on the surface don’t seem to be anything but awful to inspire a body of work that can reach into the hurt of the world and inspire others. That is exactly what Aaron Brown has done with Sing, his latest release under the guise of Aaron & The Spell. This album came together as Aaron’s longtime relationship fell apart, he moved to a new town, and his previous band broke up. To say he wasn’t feeling life coming against him like so many of us do in our day to day life would be a massive understatement. Needless to say, it is because of those very real circumstances that this album has a relatable feel from start to finish and it doesn’t hurt that it is all wrapped into a cool, late 60’s/early 70’s kind of vibe. As the album opens with “By My Side,” you can’t help but bop along with the blues laden sound as Brown’s soulful voice sings a lyric of everyday pressure’s and seeking peace in the midst of them. As you dive through the album you are met with several different styles incorporating their way into the album that include a jazz like feel with songs like “Maria, Full of Grace” or a more true to the core blues feel on “Another Way.” However, underneath the lyrics of life and pushing through the struggles of it, sits “Don’t Cry,’ a powerful song and quite possibly the true point of the album as a whole. In the middle of your own struggles, this song showcases being there for someone else through the ups and down life may offer them as its lyrics include lines like “I know you can make it on your own, but you don’t have to.” With the blend of styles coming together to create a unique feel, combining with the realness and the pain in the lyrics, this album will more than be able to connect to the broken and hurting while at the same time give them something upbeat to sing and bop along with.

-      Vertical Hope - http://verticalhope.com/index.php/music/music-reviews/375-aaron-the-spell-sing
__________

"Singer-songwriter Aaron Brown is an exciting new name to add to the lineage of the city's expressive and emotionally intense soul singers. His self-released his album, Sing, recorded with some Philly scene up-and-comers backing him up and performing as The Spell, is an excellent new addition to the musical landscape."

-	Bruce Warren, WXPN (from NPR Music, 10 Artists You Should Have Known In 2012 - December 19, 2012)
__________

"Aaron Brown doesn’t seem like the tormented, tortured-artist type. If you meet him – at a show or, as I did, in the recording studio – he comes across as a friendly, soft-spoken gentleman who laughs, shakes your hand, smiles shyly and sits himself behind the microphone. Then he opens his mouth to sing, and wow – the booming voice that emerges conveys all manner of emotions and experiences. With the release of Sing, the CD his band Aaron & The Spell unveiled last week at the Philadelphia Folk Festival, Brown establishes himself as a force to be reckoned with in the world of new soul. That’s not “soul” in the overglossed top 40 pop music sense, nor is it soul in indie / pastiche sense. This is something more classic, more genuine, harkening back to the music made in the 1960s and 70s by Sam Cooke, Otis Redding and Smokey Robinson.”

-	John Vettese, WXPN's The Key Blog (Aug 21, 2012)
__________

"Now we have arrived at “The Artist to Watch in 2013”! I don’t recall who introduced me to Aaron Brown of Aaron & The Spell, but I do recall us meeting at Philadelphia Java Co. in Society Hill, wherein I spoke for about two hours about the state of the biz. His break came when I referred his links to Helen Leicht of WXPN, and in turn, she nominated him for a list of undiscovered acts to NPR. Recording at Turtle Studios, Brown is emerging as a soulrocker with strong influences flowing back and forth across decades. He is determined in a quiet, consistent manner, and is quite the gentleman. There is something about Brown that reminds me of Otis Redding, but I am not sure how that is manifest. People are going to enjoy working with Brown from a promotional, booking and performance standpoint. Brown has roots without being a throwback act. If you give him a chance, I think you will say, at last, something for the rest of us to listen to. Aaron Brown will make you optimistic. "

-	David Wannop, Montgomery News (Year 2012 in review — Aaron Brown (Aaron & The Spell) is the artist to watch in 2013 - Dec 26, 2012)
__________

"Don’t snooze on Philly’s Aaron & the Spell. This song’s got that classic mix of bluesy guitar and passionate soul singing that fits this city like a glove. Clean-cut and gritty at the same time."

-	Patrick Rapa, Philadelphia citypaper (FAVORITE SONGS OF 2012: Aaron & the Spell, “By My Side” - Dec 18, 2012)
__________

“Aaron & The Spell (led by frontman Aaron Brown) is a band which draws comparisons to Amos Lee and Ben Harper, with a huge influence from Otis Redding. They are best described as a band that soaks in all of the influences of the Philly indie music scene. If you get a chance, check them out. This is a band with a sound that's a rich blend of blues, R & B, and soul.”

-	Dennis Bakay, Philly2Philly.com (Aug 20, 2012)
__________

“Aux premières notes de « By my side« , l’oreille se pose, attentive, sur ses quelques accords de blues. Et la voix d’Aaron vient percuter vos tympans comme cette belle inconnue qui vous bouscule dans le métro. Cette voix puissante et douce à la fois, située quelque part entre Lenny Kravitz et Raul Midon, vous frappe en plein coeur, et réussit sa mission de vous emmener « à ses côtés ». L’album ne pouvait être mieux lancé !

La musique n’est pas grand chose si elle ne transmet pas d’émotions. La voix d’Aaron, parfaite, accompagnée de mélodies qui le sont tout autant remplie parfaitement son rôle et vous donnera des frissons…Mettre plus de mots dans cet article n’aurait aucun sens tant l’album parle de lui-même. Alors pour ce 31 décembre, si vous voulez faire simple, voici votre manuel de survie. Blotissez-vous contre la personne que vous aimez (un chat, ça fonctionne aussi), appuyez sur Play et oubliez tout le reste. L’essentiel est là, merci Aaron !”

-	Gael Lazzaroni, Pause Musicale (Dec. 31, 2012)


Upton Indigo is following