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Speed Kings News > August 2010
"I've never had a pot piss in, now i have a bucket!"
Man it's been a hot, slow summer here in Speedking County, and mixing has been sporadic due to this fact/jack.
All of our studio gear is high end and heat producing even with the a.c. blasting! So we picks our times as we get '
em.
We just recorded 5 more songs for the "Just Another Nobody" project and we'll track a couple more lafter
this month. I'm gonna be mixing forever. Ugh.
Gotta get a bunch of photography for the artwork done as well,
i'm always looking for a fresh eye. We're trying to get a couple projects finished for fall, in time for S.X.S.W. Ya man, all my ex's live in Texas, thats why i make my home in Tennessee.
I'm just watching some indie pop
band on "Austin City Limits" as i compose this tripe. The guitar player sounds like he's playing with oven mitts
on, slash and burn -- actually the band has no groove either, just an irritating choppy meter. My guess is that it's to deflect
the fact they can't play, and there really is no game plan. Who were they? Who cares! I guess even Austin City Limits has problems getting talent these days. All the "talent" is running for the hills -- can't say I
blame 'em.
But i digress, Angelina will be posting some of the new stuff we recorded later this month. There is some
news pics on the Photos page as well as the Twitchcraft page. The project Zapper '48 Ford "powering the past
into the future" is moving well, i have forgone the summer road test. I'm confident the thing will run! I'd like
to try and get it ready for the car shows this winter.
...And now for something completely different!
Twitchisms > Recent thoughts from from my digital self
Got some books i've been browsing through, for all you brainiacs (there's gotta be a couple, even in this dung hole.):
"The brain that changes itself" by Dr. Norman Doidge
- Amazing what we're starting to discover about the human brain.
"The Value of Nothing" by Raj Patel
-
Heres a lot of insight into the comodification of everything, and the resulting
false value attached to it. And its eventual demise, one only hopes!
" Relaxation Revolution" by Dr. Herbert Benson
-
He runs his clinic at Massachutsetts General Hospital.
Heres a few Internet Radio shows i listen to:
Backwoods (d.j. John Funky) at WMBR 88.1 out of M.I.T. in Cambridge Mass.
Saturday morning 10-noon e.s.t.
Old school rock and roll, rockabilly , country, rhythm and blues, one of the best shows of it style for sure!
Howdylicious (d.j. Wanda) at KUCI 88.9 out of the University of California, Irvine campus
8-10 pm west coast time
for all things twangy this here's your thangy . Great late night listening for us in the know here in Toronto.
Catwoman Radio (d.j. catwoman) at CIUT 88.1 out of the U of T Toronto
Wednesday 5-6 pm est.
Funk, punk, surf, garage rock, psychedelic, rockabilly, old school country, global groove and other cool stuff. (
Her words!!! so it's gotta be true.)
Speed Kings News > Late June 2010
I was doing production work on the new Speedking C.D. (untitled yet) earlier this month.
Namely choosing the news songs that we'll be tracking later this summer. Probably 60% of
it has been recorded for some time now. When you don't hear the stuff for a while it sounds
really fresh. I recall giving a bunch of songs to my buddy Neil who was doing sound on a
Sheryl Crow tour. When they hit T.O. we hung out and i slipped him the goods (sounds like
a gay encounter!.. it was'nt). Anyway he'd play the stuff at shows through the p.a. system,
i was talking to him later on tour he said people were coming up to him at the mixing station
and asking who it was, i asked if that happened often, he said never. Sooo i shelved the stuff
until i could afford to finish it right, the time is right $$$. Check it out. Amazing keyboards by
the late Richard Bell and Vocal monstress Shannon Maracle, can't to start... wait i already have!
Twenty Below
Road Trip
Only game in Town
All Girl Revue
I also was listening to some original demos we did at Hart House U of T awhile back and thought
it might be neat to post some so you, the layman can see how the material evolves or devolves
depending on your tastes of course. But i'm selfish so could'nt give a toss. I found a song called
"Long Road Out" i wrote in memory of the tragic dead of football star Pat Tilman,probably the
saddest story i'd heard at that time. Plenty more since
Ticking Away
Shooting Stars
In And Out of Love
Getting Over You
Bless This Bullet
Long Road Out
I had a bit of a writing hemorrhage of late so we're adding some more tunes to the "Just Another
Nobody" recording heres short vid of a demo i did for a song called "Tangled in the Web" its a
Jimmy Reed jump kinda thing, i love blues, it never lets me down.
Speed Kings News > June 2010
Went to see the Reverand Horton Heat, Cracker and Split Lip Rayfield at the Phoenix last night. Was great to see a show, i haven't for a long while. I stood at the sound mixing station - always do; it's the best place to hear a show (provided the room is good of course). I probably shouldn't have said that, now all the drunken idiots will swarm it, sorry to all you sound people! Ha!
I'm glad i'm mostly on stage, but that has it drawbacks as well, man (projectiles!). Caught the back end of Split Lip Rayfield (love the name). They smoked, man. Solid as a three coil steamer!
Cracker has a great new c.d. out and played a bunch off it, as well as all the old favorites. The crowd was a bit lippy - you know those pseudo Rockabilly Rebels, all covered in tattoos, taking the bus home after the show. I love my new truck!
Here's a cheaper way to stand out in a crowd, wear a soiled pink wig.
The crowd was there to see the Rev & they didn't disappoint! The sound guys were great, the band smoked...
I'm tired as fuck, but no hang overs for this lad - 25 years alcohol (poison) free. I'll stick to the natural substances thank you very munch!
The G20 summit is upon us here in Toronto. They're the forces that snoozed as even more sinister forces ruined the world economy. Everything is fine now though! Just another market correction. The working class jobs always materialize after the financial system rebounds. But that doesn't seem to be the
case. Seems the problem is leverage, most of the world banks are levered (over extended) beyond comprehension, as are many individuals and even countries. And a lack of transparancy between the holders of toxic commercial paper (debt) is holding back lending. The really disturbing thing is there's hundreds of 'trillions'
of dollars of this toxic shit mostly constructed of sub-prime fake estate mortgages, car loans, boob jobs and credit card debt (which isn't even collateralized debt!) Thats like ten times the G.D.P. of the world!
And the idea we'll consume our way out of it is laughable, everything has already been commodified. But that debt has to be recognized and the only way it will be resolved is by devaluing all of our assets and/or seizing all the assets of the corporations and individuals who caused the mess. Which do you think it will be?
But civil unrest will not be tolerated, just sit by passively and get financially raped. It's all about control, man. The less control the government has over you, your thoughts and actions, the more you're the enemy. Sadly most folks aren't even aware of the grief that awaits us.
http://www.thestar.com/opinion/letters/article/812432--you-can-see-the-picture
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Twitchisms > Things you might not know.... or care to know.
More Favorite underground and kinda underground movies.
1. L.A. Confidential
2. The Meaning of Life (Monty Python)
3. It Seemed Like a Good Idea At The Time
4. The Blues Brothers (original)
5. Brazil
6. Dead Man
7. Caddy Shack
8. Mother Jugs and Speed
9. Tin Cup (What can I say? I'm a golf fan.)
10. Freebie and the Bean
11. Police Academy (original) - First time i heard the term 'Piss Ant'
12. Gone in Sixty Seconds
13. Fargo
Favorite older British comedy series .
1. On the Buses
2. Are You Being Served?
3. Keeping Up Appearances
4. Monty Pythons Flying Circus
Twitchisms > May 2010
Speed Kings News > May 2010
Mixing continues on all fronts but not necessarily on all cylinders!. I continue in my praise of slow,
its not like anyones beating my door down to offer me a whole lot of money, or are they???
Music
never sleeps, neither do i lately, many issues to deal with daily and little patience for almost all of it.
I forgot to mention the guys who did such a masterful job on the Just Another Nobody project last
month so heres our list in no particular odor.
The 'Just Another Nobody' Band:
Guitar and Piano: Johnny Macleod of the infamous "Johnny and the G Rays"
Lead Guitar: Mr. Harri Palm also of the infamous "Johnny and the G Rays"
Drums: Eddy K of the Jack Family and many other excellent projects
Bass: John Borra who has played in so many great Toronto bands i don't know
where to start, but currently he plays bass with the "Screwed" an his own projects
I walked through Queens Park this aft May 1, 2010 on my way to the gym must have been 20,000 at the
Global Marijuana March smoking pot and having fun!, maybe a couple panic attacks. I could'nt help
but think what if all these people were drunk, it'd be a blood bath surely, but pot seems to soothe the
savage beast as opposed to agitating it. I hope the powers that be take notice, but likely not.
Later in
the day i walked back through, there was probably double the crowd. Toronto definately likes its weed.
It's amazing people who've never smoked pot have the gall to vilify it, and actually legislate it! Real
killers like alcohol and cigarettes are o.k.? I've seen more people go down from those two than anything
else and 'i' have seen it all man, many times over. But the white trash addictions are taxable are'nt they!
I'm hangin' in Yorkville this summer, lookin' for some classy (but not plastic) lassies! Keep your eyes peeled ladies for the blond haired, blue eyed hunk rollin' in the red 65 El Camino, you'll here us comin' for sure!
Humma Humma :)
Happy birthday! to Casie Stewart Super Tweeter at Muchmusic/MTV.
She's
turning 28 May 8 but she still looks gr8! Humma Humma :) Hangin' in Yorkville this summer????
Glenn from the Abatoirs is working on a couple web pages for the band so we should
have a little site for em up here soon. Angelina is working on a video page so we can post
all the vids or at least the embedded clips on our site as well as You Tube.
And there's a couple new electric pics as well as a few old shop pics on the Twitchcraft
page. There'll be some new mixes up later in the month we're moving along just fine,
like well aged brine. Check back soon, or hell, don't even leave, but we can't feed ya!
More Twitch'isms are coming later this month.... ya'll
Favorite underground movies ( i don't follow mainstream film at all, never have.)
1. Easy Rider
2. Blue Velvet
3. Pink Flamingos (any early John Waters)
4. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
5. Up in Smoke ( any early Cheech and Chong)
6. Eating Raul
7. Colors (directed by Dennis Hopper)
8. Sugartown
9. Rocky Horror Picture Show
10. Quadraphenia
11. Clockwork Orange
Music i'm listening to now (and forever amen!)
1. 'Rough Mix' PeteTownsend and Ronnie Lane, one of the best kept secrets in popular music history.
2. ' Infidels' Sly and Robbie on drums and bass 'Jokerman' makes this recording a must listen on its own.
3. ' Right Between The Promises' Freedy Johnston is another song writing monster thoroughly under
appreciated.
4. 'The Paladins Years Since Yesterday' (on cassette!) Rocking from start to finish.
5. ' Agnostic Front' (on cassette!) 'Last Warning' an early live recording by the N.Y.C. hardcore band.
6. ' Space Heater' Reverend Horton Heat ' ( on cassette!) is one of my favorite Rev recordings, the critics
panned it, the critics don't know shit.
7. 'Johnny Cash American Recordings 5' , his last album, the Gordon Lightfoot song 'If You Could Read
My Mind' is the most gut wrenching powerful recording i've heard in my life. And i've heard a lot em.
Every time i hear Johnny Cash sing it i well up, so i listen to it alone, with a box of kleenex.
Recent reads (I don't read a lot of books, but i'm trying)
1. The Zero Carbon Car William H Kemp
2. The Effective Executive Peter Drucker My buddy Brendan uses it to teach his MBA course at U of T.
3. Tipping Point Malcolm Gladwell Ya i know he's written new books but this ones the best.
4. Consumed Dr. Benjamin Barber Think you can recognize purility, guess again.
5. Omnivores Dilemma Michael Pollen The bible for sustainable eating.
6. American Theocracy Kevin Phillips
7. The Bush Agenda Antonia Juhasz
8. Armed Madhouse Greg Palast
9. Hedgemony or Survival Noam Chomsky
10. The Gas We Pass Shinta Cho (The Story Of Farts) George. W .Bushs autobiography.
Favorite internet radio shows coming soon!
Speed Kings News > April 2010
We're finished tracking the "Just Another Nobody" electric project, we recorded December 22 and 23rd 2009 at Johnny Macleods rehearsal complex down on Baldwin St., here in Toronto, "best live rooms" in the shitty. We recorded 10 songs over two days, i taught the band the tunes as we went, on the spot, a totally Motown moment man. It was a real bonsai mission and it turned out great, my ears are still ringing!. Mixing is now underway.
So heres a few of the newly tracked "Just Another Nobody" tunes that we've been listening to for while now.
These are raw tracks with no major mixing or processing, as they come together we'll swap em out so you too
can get a sense of the pure joy of music creation. I wrote one more song that i'm adding to the "Just Another
Nobody" recording, it came to me recently so i finished it up as my birthday present to myself!.
We just renewed our U.S. Speedking Trademark, simply said man, don't fuck with our property!. We go to great pains to share our music to the extent we're able, i mean if you have to give it away its likely shit anyway. We're starting pre production for the last half of the new Speedkings CD, there's a bunch of titles so far, for now its a mystery.
We'll add a couple more Abatoir tracks to what's currently posted very soon, i'm just remixing a few clunkers, unlike Toyota we always try our best to make our customers happy.
Here's a link to the Abatoir artwork. Nice stuff. The music industry is choked with sub par dross and we don't roll with that man. I'm hoping to put together a couple shows this summer i have a twitch to play more lately, getting a band tight is a bloody chore though. Too much blogging going on not enough playing. Pussy central.
And finally, there's some build pics of my fully 'electric' 48 Ford Zapper "Powering the past into the future" project at Twitchcraft, we're pushing hard to road test the car in May or June, lots of video footage coming!. There's also new band pictures on our Photos Page, as well as a whole whack of old Speedking V.H.S. video footage i've transfered over to MP4 files. Heres a link to my You Tube page, watch the stuff here in the comfort of your home.
I can't recall who shot the shows but i'd like to thank them, these are't our best shows ever but beggars can't be choosers and they are a good indicator of The Speedkings at the heavier moments in our history. We were labelled cow punk, in hindsight i'd say we were more like "Cow Core", thats why we always ended up on punk and hardcore bills, good people, lots of fun, i was feeling a bit nostalgic over Christmas what can i say?
All the best, Twitch.
SPEED KILLS BUT WHAT A WHAT TO DIE !!!
Speed Kings News > February 2010
"Recent thoughts from my "Digital Self ":
I hope everyone had a happy healthy holiday, the three h's baby!, and just maybe you saved a few bob for one of our well made products?. I'm watching Elton Johns "Spectacle" on t.v. as i type this trash and i do believe that i have an unexpected case of the hots for opera singer Renee Fleming!. Clearly she has many of the same facial features as actresses Diane Lane and Lauren Graham both whom are also really quite hot. Clearly things are mighty fine over in "Cougar County." Kleenex for all, and to all a good night!.
On a cleaner subject, "The Abatoirs" advance CDs are now done. I'll be harassing select college radio programmers post haste, at least the ones i've pledged to at funding drive time. Angelina will post some new tracks as well, we're almost done!
Well thats all for a bit................................................................................ Carry on then, off you go. Check back soon!!!
All the best, Twitch.
Speed Kings News > September 2009
Well we're back in the racket again after a much deserved hiatus. Personally i have been finishing myAll the best
Twitch
Well, we've got some updated Abatoirs demo stuff for you. In fact, Twitch likes it so much we've taken down the stuff we had previously loaded up here. You can also check out a couple of live videos, embedded below! Not to mention a couple of snazzy shots of Matt and Eddie!
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Speed Kings News > October 2007
Here it is! The long awaited Abatoirs demo material! Three songs linked below for your listening pleasure. * All three songs can be heard in better quality above, we've removed the lower quality ones to protect your ears! * Keep in mind that these are rough demos and aren't complete. Yes, they are the entire song and yes, you can download them and play them if you feel the need to. Just keep in mind that Twitch will also be selling the proper, completed versions once they're done! Also, check out the live pics (below) taken at The Cadillac Lounge in Toronto. For more pics, head on over to the Twitchcraft page as there are some new Chopper shots!
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Speed Kings News > July 2007
After an incredibly long wait, and more technical difficulties to talk about, we have some new stuff for y'all! Twitch has recovered some great video footage of the band, which we are now making available for you to check out! For now, I've embedded the videos below and as the library continues to grow (there's some Abatoirs footage that we can't wait to get going for you!) we'll add a seperate video page. If you have any questions about the footage, feel free to email Twitch at: twitch@look.ca. I'm sure he'd love to talk to you and maybe even sell you some merch! The band is going through some reconfiguring and Twitchcraft has kept Twitch hopping (not to mention the 3 million other projects he's got going) but he assures me there will be lots of news coming very soon.
Any of you folks Myspace junkies? Well, I've got two links for you immediately, The Speedkings and Route 666 Radio . The first link is pretty obvious, the band has joined the crazy world of Myspace and wants you all as friends! The second is a radio show (hosted by yours truly) out of Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. The show focuses mostly on old time Rock N' Roll, The 'billies (Rocka, Horror, Psycho) and roots rock. I think you'll dig it (if I do say so myself) so tune in Fridays 10-11am EST. There's a link to the station from the Myspace page. Alright, without further ado, here's the videos that we've managed to get up on the web for your viewing pleasure! Make sure you email Twitch and let him know what you think!
My apologies for my lax attitude to the website of late; it's difficult to generate news if you don't do anything! This summer has been a bit boring, frankly the scenes getting kinda worn out, and being a true music fan, as I am, it's a bit depressing. But I've re gained my energy and we're back in the racket. As they say, "you lead by example" so I feel the need to rock, roll and rock some more. As Bo Diddley says," you're never too old to rock and roll". But man I do feel old these days!
My musical home "monumental
sound" sadly had to relocate thanks to a greedy landlord. This hampers
the completion of the new Speedking c.d. for a few months, we hope? We're
tracking the last few guitar parts for the debut c.d. by "The Abatoirs"
at padded cell tentatively titled "produced
for consumption". As well the solo acoustic project I started last September
at hart house is back on track again. I've just mentioned three projects on
the go and as you can imagine each one costs a lot of money to finish. I unfortunately
am not a wealthy man so getting the job done is
always a strain. Did I say three projects? Actually I have a few more projects
than that; and I'm determined to finish 'em all, be sure of that! Also we
have a show! That would be the "Abatoirs" debut with "The Swinging
Blackjacks" at The Cadillac Lounge: 1296 Queen West at Dufferin. Thursday,
December 7th at 10 pm. All proceeds to benefit the Toronto Humane Society.
(see poster below)
It's interesting to sit back lately and watch the music business continue to devolve. Whether it's more payola or the sycophantic behavior of wannabe "idols" singing their little black hearts out, I believe the new business mantra is gonna read lean, mean and independent for the future. Bandwidth is increasing; soon we'll be able to play live on the internet without massive costs. Our audience through-out the world can join us wherever we choose to play. The prospect is exciting, though promotion will always be a challenge. Unfortunately music publications these days are more interested in advertising revenue than content so if you can't afford their inflated ad rates you get ignored. Majors buy their lousy acts to the top. But even at the top boys, a pile of shit still stinks! There's an old saying in politics, 'People always get the government they deserve'. I think the same is true with art, if you accept mediocrity that's all you'll receive in return. Proponents of digital radio brag about the content being superior to analogue radio. But all they have are more channels of regurgitated material and whatever the major labels pay them to say and play. College campus radio is still the last bastion of independence but it too is being infiltrated and corrupted by "corporate music" the sound track of our demise.
Lastly I've been corresponding with a cat from Argentina named "Bat Mario" he's got a great rockabilly band called 'Los Salvajes Rockabilly'. All the vocals are in Spanish but it's a beautiful fluid language, and nothing gets lost in translation. Check 'em out!
And lastly, really; a quote from the deceased Hunter S. (the 'S' is for splatter fest!) Thompson:
'The music business is a cruel and shallow trench, a long plastic highway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men lie like dogs. There is also a negative side'.
Cheers,
Twitch
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(Some new photos in the Twitchcraft section as well!)
Speed Kings News > March 2006
Well spring has sprung folks at least we're damn close. Actually here in Toronto winter bypassed us so far....
Work is nearing the end on the "just another nobody" project, as well as a kick ass cow punk c.d. by a talented group of guys called "The Abatoirs". I haven't been this stoked about a band since I discovered "The Supersuckers" though they don't sound a thing like 'em (but the spirit's the same). Hopefully it'll be done late summer.
All the writing for the next Speedking c.d. is done and it promises to be a killer! A real step forward for sure. Recording is expected to start in the fall at monumental sound studio in Toronto with "Blood, Sweat and Primer" producer Joe Dunphy.
I'm charging the battery on the old el Camino this weekend and getting' ready to burn a hundred bucks a week in high octane fuel thanks to the good folks who brought you the war in Iraq (the 4:11 gears don't help either!), Driving's not much fun anymore, gotta get my bike finished. Anybody got a shovel head motor cheap????.
We'll be setting up pages for all the projects on the Speedking record label shortly so you can get acquainted with the cast of characters, as well as get some mp3's up soon.
There was one more thing i had on my mind what was it? Hmmm… what the hell was it? Oh Ya!!
Fuck George Bush!!!
Coming Soon From Speedking Records!!
