Malibu Entry #17 (edit #1)
Tue Nov 14, 2006 9:41 pm
Wrestling with Words
Last Week in Malibore.
I brushed off the Spider webs and look what happened.
CLICK TO
Technically, not Malibu Canyon but "Trancas Canyon". This is 2 shots, one to get the bright moon, and one w/ slower shutter to get the haze behind the moon... taken right outside our door - hand-held.
I can't help but take shots of things that make me want to take a icture. Sorry. Eisley had their camera at the studio, but alas... there were no shots at all.
Lookin into the master bedroom from the porch... the girl's room.
Click ME! - Panarama of the back yard from the corner of the lot.
Dinner Party. Eisley holding their name sake.
This is in the very corner of the lot. Isn't this an orchid? Am I wrong?.
Closer... c l o s e r...
In Garron's room... right before we left for the first listening session w/ Craig.
Craig Aaronson after hearing the new songs.
I've Heard Every Track Now
Knowledge is power.
AND I DON'T WANT IT. That's why I'm wrestling with words. That's why i didn't post last night. I realized that it was easy to talk candidly and excitedly about new material that I'd only heard bits and pieces of. But now, enlightened, I have the power to speak with deep understanding about what I've heard.
There are some things in life you're better off not knowing.
Therefore, I'm just going to talk in intangible, non-articulate, unemotional terms about what I've heard. In this manner, I will torture you for months.
It's going to take a great deal of effort on my part, but I've counted the cost and am willing. Not because I'm a great, great, man, but because you deserve it... You are great, great people.
A&Ronson (he's trying to combine A&R and Aaronson, but... what the ?)
The Unofficial Weigh-in
btw... I may be boring, I may be a crummy hack writer, I may not have posted enuf video's during this Malibu visit (more on that later), but... I hope you can see by the subtitle that I sure have a talent for merging words for maximum corniness. It may not seem like a real gift on the surface, but I think if I keep working at it, I can get a job at a little hack Advertising studio somewhere - writing clever headlines for small town used car dealerships(speaking of corn; errr, Korn, I talked with that Jonanthan guy a bit last night... Richard and He are working on the pre-production for Korn's acoustic show on MTV; Super nice).
THE IMAGE SAYS IT ALL. So, yeah... u can see by the unedited photo that Craig really liked the new Eisley songs. Together, he and his sidekick ("Tick" - not shown) managed to cuss and swear wondrously after every song...expressing their elation by outbursts of discomposure and gakkish profane spewings. This let us know they really liked it.
Can you guess his favorites? I DIDN'T SAY MY FAVORITE, you duffle-headed loons! (for, boyd no longer has opinions). I'm giving nothing away by telling you waht Craig loved: "Invasion", "I Could Be There for You", "___ _____ 's", "Many Funerals" and "________" and "__ __________ __ __ __ ___"... and of course, "Taking Control"... but single still feels like "Invasion". No surprises there. We all thought that the first time we heard the demo.
However, not by way of any conjecture bordering on a boydism, I can, without a doubt say that my favorite song is "I could be there for you" as well as all of the other ones. One tune, in particular - called, "___ ____ ___ __ ___" (i forgot the name so I guessed on the blanks) is both dark and bright at the same time.... and I love it. So does the rest of the gang. I once described it in a previous journal as: something funk meets something-tronica; I can't remember now how brilliant I actually was... but in my head, as I recall, I was.
"Tick" was comparing pieces and parts to Bob Dylan, Stevie Nicks (there's that Fleetwood reference again), Radiohead, Bjork, etc. but I can tell you for sure that the music sounds like Eisely. Comparing little glimmers to other artists is a way to kinda a way of ascribing never-before-heard material the luster of majesty... you know; not like aggrandizement, but... more like couching within credibility.
I don't think he was hyping because... he made several disclaimers to the effect of: "I'm not just hyping this up... I'm serious about my reaction; In my business, I can't afford to say over the top stuff - when describing someone's music; if i do... i get a call the next week from someone saying, 'but i don't understand... you said this stuff was psycho-sic!"
Anyway, Craig is the real litmus test. He's more collected... but, being a die hard eisley fan, I saw the gamut of emotion - from joy to tears.
All in all, it was fun night. The girls traversed the canyon, drove into Hollywood and parked for $16 at The Grove. There, they did whatever girls do at big shopping centers when they don't have any money. (shop)
Kim fixed me potatoe Soup. Gotta go. brb.
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Right After I Pushed the Button...
...Our power went out.
Malibu is a very dark, dark place with no lights. Think of camping in a dark valley, between mountains... and suddenly it's pitch black; Even the stores were enveloped in utter utterness. Nothing. The abyss. Malabyss. But I liked it. First, we scrambled for candles and then thought... meh, (we thought "meh" and then said "meh"...) "let's go over to the studio".... and i'm CERTAINLY GLAD WE DID!!
sidebar: I hate people who use exclaimation points... in the way I just did. I did it to sound cheezy. I think we need a new mark. If I were King of Literature (thank God i'm not because my Kindgom would be called Illiterdom) I would push for a new intermediate mark - called, the puntuawesome mark.
Do you wanna know why I'm glad we went?! Because I got to hear the songs again! (sorry. hate me. hate my guts. please make me cry) But, yeah, it was rewarding. It made me very happy. They were working on the outro to Many Funerals... Ohhh, dang. it's so good. wait!. I forgot. I'm not talking about the songs. Anyway, it was decent. not bad. i was ok with it. nothing special. i'm over it. boring really. i hated it.
About Video.
I'm Saving It.
We've continued to capture exciting video footage, but there are two (2) factors that have affected my decision to invest hrs and hrs editing/producing more clips: 1.) It takes hrs and hrs. 2.) I'm going to put together a long "Making Of" that will go on the cd as bonus mat'l... WB's idea. That's sorta exciting. And tomorrow night, WB video dept. is coming over to video the band... a questionaire. And you can help.
I'm going to go make a post in the Laughing City about Questions I need. If you're reading this, please go visit and weigh in. Thanks!
Be Cool.
Ibe what?
Know what's weird? We're watching "Be Cool" for the first time. You'd think we'd have seen it - since Eisley's video is in the movie... but, no. We haven't gotten to the part yet... i don't know where it is. ok. ok. ok. bye. bd
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Just finished watching. What a trippy, goofy flick. Whs that a parody on the music-meets-mafia industry? - or a comedic look at racism. Either way... antedotal, for sure. You can't help but laughing... black music moguls sporting both bling AND guns - blackmailing other industry fat cats, pressuring defunked while label owners bating Steve Tyler to allow unsigned hip hop artist to open for an Aerosmith show so they can get back in the game?! I almost never like All Star cast films... but some of the "we're gangsters and producers" acting was pretty funny. How very weird that "Marvelous Things" video clip is somehow connected with that film. I'm still shaking my head. I didn't really get it. The film is a hodge podge of chaotic, hollywood bogus.
Speaking of movies:
"STRANGER THAN FICTION". (Ema Thompson, Will Ferrell, Dustin Hoffman, Maggie Gyllenhaal) That's the film to go see. An almost perfect film... for creativity and art direction, for cast and acting, for storyline/script... including the ending. Don't let anyone talk to you about it. Just play like it's another Hollywood film and enjoy it. It's love story, but moreso, a story about life... and how to relish it; how to relish the moments with the people in our lives... how not to take one more day for granted... how not to waste time or become trapped by fear... trapped by our own fears of failure. Go see it. It's Will Ferrell's best 'straight acting' role. He's amazing.
Tomorrow Night.
Torch Bearers
Day off for Eisley! - until 6:00pm, when they do this video interview thing. Richard, Chubba and Jorge' are going to dial in those mixes even better... it's cool, the studio is all cleaned up, the partiions that have been up the entire time have been stowed, the place is getting all spiffied up for the listening gig. Richard is bringing in X-tra speakers... mains, subs (compliment's of mr. Korn). I've heard they think 15 people might show. I'm not holding my breath for that many. Malibu is 45 minutes out of Hollywood... They'll REALLY have to wanna come. Craig want's candle lights... and a straight, uninterrupted run through the material. Should be exciting. I dunno. We'll find out! I'll report on it asap. Thanks. bd
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