Remember the thumbs-up guy I told you about last April? The one from Australia who I hat-tipped via the All-American Rejects photo? Here, catch up.
Anyway, he interviewed Rejects guitarist Mike Kennerty for an Aussie paper and managed to work in a goodly number of references to yours truly. Check it out.
Which reminds me that I need to decide if I'm going to add one of the demos to my new MySpace page (the one that's so good for business - I'm just sitting around waiting for the money to start rolling in). Sooner or later at least one of 'em will go up there I guess.
I still have a few songs left to demo here before they get sent down to Mike so he can do 'em up right. The demos should all be finished, or close, within a month or so. Then the tracking of guitars and drums will take place over the following four months or so as time permits. And then, theoretically anyway, bass, keyboards and vocals will be tracked up here in February, followed by the mixing and mastering. With any luck the album will be out a mere eight months from now. At which point it'll have been four years since I've released a new album. Man, it's getting harder and harder to get a record out. Guess I should do like everyone says and get with the times by going out on the road.
Yeah, like that's gonna happen...
"...I need to decide if I'm going to add one of the demos to my new MySpace page..."
That would be awesome!
Posted by: Nicole from the PPB at August 16, 2006 11:47 AM"Yeah, like that's gonna happen..."
You just love to break my heart Mr. Weasel....
Posted by: Patrick at August 16, 2006 12:11 PMSave the deoms. Let us all be surprised when the record comes out. Or, you could send loyal fans some of the rough stuff and let us decide...I like that idea.
Damn, the Rejects really love them some Ben Weasel. Does anyone have a copy of the interview Mike did with Ben (Ben, do you have it?) that you could post? I'm interested in reading that. Ben would've been my first choice, too.
Posted by: Andrew at August 16, 2006 02:02 PM"Yeah, like that's ever gonna happen".
That's funny. After years of patronizing Joe Q everytime he came through as to when in the hell you'd go on tour, I'd always recieved the same answer "When hell freezes over". But a little over a year ago he pointed out you might be at the Chicago show and might get up on stage or something. Immediately I booked a flight and made my way to Chi-town (as instructed in Punk is a Four Letter Word minus the busload of fans). To my surprise, low & behold, the now infamously non-touring Mr. Weasel played a set (w/ Sweet Black & Blue). My point is "If You Build It, They Will Come" (terrible pun, I apologize). But why not play shows where you're located (ok,I'm guessing Madison isn't the coolest place on Earth, so what)? Advertise it via this site along with Myspace and see what happens? I think you'd be quite surprised at how many people would save their milk money for a chance to see a Screeching Weasel/Ben Weasel show. I might not be rich, but with enough advance notice, you can count me in.
With the advent of decent sounding and cost-effective home recording gear to demo stuff before you go into the studio, and a good producer who's willing to help you with the songs in pre-production, isn't it actually getting a lot easier to get a record out?
I'm not being sarcastic at all.
Posted by: Zack at August 16, 2006 04:36 PMYeah Ben surprise us til the record comes out, that's always the better way to come out with new stuff!.
Posted by: David Siañez at August 16, 2006 10:57 PM'Ugh' at the kid bemoaning the All American Rejects' integrity.
The All American Rejects are like when you're getting a haircut from a female hairdresser and her tits keep touching the back of your head. No one's gonna admit it in public, but the broad smile on your face betrays you.
Their self titled LP has more hooks than an abattoir. Good stuff. I gotta admit I’m a recent convert. I only listened to them when I had to interview them, but I double dare you to listen to 'Swing, Swing', 'Move Along' or 'Happy Endings' without getting them stuck in your noggin for days on end.
Posted by: Steve at August 17, 2006 01:29 AMActually, I don't think you can post a demo on your myspace. You have a personal page and not a music one. You might have to set up a music account to post your songs. I think you should go for it, though. If you don't want the hassel of keeping up on it, I'd totally volunteer to do it for you. I mean, you would decide what goes on it and all that, but I'd be happy to go through the friend requests and put up with the crappy pages that freeze your browser for you.
Posted by: Amy at August 17, 2006 03:26 AMOh, nevermind...you do have a music one now. Just ignore the previous comment.
Posted by: Amy at August 17, 2006 03:27 AMBen, I would hold off on the demos, too. Let us all be surprised.
Having said that, if you have a demo version of that 'Butterfly'(?) song you performed with Sweet Black and Blue, feel free to post! Jeez, it's STILL in my head.
As far as AAR goes, I think they are great at what they do. Out of this whole 'new' breed, they are one of the few who actually know how to compose a song.
Naked Raygun is playing together again, so I guess anything's possible as far as shows go...
Posted by: resident jason at August 17, 2006 08:23 AMJason, I never had a song called Butterfly. You're probabyl thinking of Bittersweet, which I dropped, taking a few of the parts and incorporating them into a newer tune. But I'm glad you said that because Butterfly is a great song title. I'm going to try to write Butterfly this afternoon...
Dorian, I don't care where the shows are, in fact I'd rather have an excuse to travel and visit friends and get paid for it. But I don't enjoy playing live usually and I have the idea that working for yourself means only doing the things you hate when absolutely necessary.
Zack: Briefly, no.
Thanks.
Ben
Posted by: Ben Weasel at August 17, 2006 09:53 AMBITTERSWEET!!!! that's it!!!! (boy, don't I feel like an ass?
Posted by: resident jason at August 17, 2006 10:48 AM