Monday, May 21, 2007

im here at henson studios. ground hallowed by many creative hours and many cool artists but in my estimation the coolest and oldest is charlie chaplin. my friend taylor walked me over on the cell phone to where you can still see charlies footsteps in the cement. no plaque or anything. just barely visible and therefore sort of ghostly. they turn out in that distinctive chaplin waddle. good stuff.

listening to playback. billy bush has made the new track, 'unexploded', sound great. stoked.

22 comments:

Anonymous said...

eric-
its alec and id really like ta talk about basses since im gettin mine soon. im gettin a black p bass just like yer brahms bass. by brahms did you mean the composer?
do you still have the brahms bass?
the one from the ocean size video and many other pictures?

also i really wanna see the soul kiss video. hopefully i can get one. i wanna see this toilet seat book review you did. haha. is that somethin you now regret?

well i really dig "all remote and no control". "and when i see it i can see it" for some reason i just love that line.

thank you eric.

ALEC

Brian Smith McCallum said...

EA,

La La Brea bones walk west . . .

Thanks for the link to the history of the studio. Was it drummer Taylor Hawkins that was navigating you via cell phone? That man beats his skins a la Dave Grohl.

Looking for some new music and inspiration. Would you have 3 band recommendations? What's in your iPod right now. My latest discovery is Mars Volta.

I've also been on a nostalgia kick, listening to The Clash . . . and some other punk, dub, reggae - - even rude boy ska (The Specials).

Anonymous said...

Must be awesome to record one of your songs in a very good studio, expecially mr charlie chaplin, the greatest dictator ever.

I have a little 19.99 mic oi bought at future shop to record my stuff on my computer, sounds horrible but its there so i dont forget some of the stuff i come up with.

Im getting a tube amp and selling my CRAPPY solid state halfstack. Thinking about a fender 1965 deluxe reverb reissue yadda yadda.

is unexploded going to be on help wanted? or is that album done and ur gonna make another one.

Will You Ever Stop Creating Music? I Know i cant , I got into rock when i was 16 because of mr hendrix and my curiosity, now i cant go a day without listening to music, strange how it just grabs onto you.

matt volpe said...

Hey Eric,

This studio sounds like it has an amazing history, I love Chaplin. I studied his films back in film school way back when. Along with Buster Keaton's (I love his films as well). Very glad to hear you are making great music at one of the very origins of filmmmaking. And now owned by Kermit the Frog's creator, love Jim Henson's legacy.

I had a quick questions about the all remote and no control song: who plays drums on it? Did you play guitar on it as well as bass? And the various sound design, was that you as well? The more I listen to it, the more I notice the layers, it's a great song.

Thanks and hope it's going well.

Talk soon, Matt

Anonymous said...

EA-
I must admit that I rarely read your blog, but I'll add that your playing and songwriting are a big reason why I am a musician. can't wait to hear the album. the song on dangerbird's radio is really great!
the reason I'm writing you is because I'm curious what bass amp you used on this album AND what bass amp you used back in the JA days. I'd assume you've had more than one, but then again I wouldn't be surprised if you were still rocking the same one since '85, or before.

Anonymous said...

That's rad!

-ea. said...

alec- yes it is johannes brahms. it is the brahms i cut from a "i heart brahms" sticker i bought one night at the hollywood bowl. used to see classical fairly regularly from the cheap seats. oh and yes brahms is with me in a case in the corner of my room at home.

i dont regret the toilet seat thing because i have always enjoyed taking the piss out of celebrity myth making. excuse the obvious pun.

-ea. said...

c. brian - yes that is that taylor. i had been stepping over the embedded footprints without knowing until he asked me if id seen them.

what is in my ipod that is new and is pop music is: tv on the radio (cookie mountain), blonde redhead (23) and arcade fire (neon bible).

the clash will live forever. just talking yesterday about them. one of my favorite songs of all time is "straight to hell" off of combat rock. very vibey song on an otherwise very poppy record.

-ea. said...

george d- yes unexploded will be on hw.

no i dont think i will stop making music anytime soon. too much yet to learn. i tried a few years ago to quit. didnt go well. had withdrawal symptoms of the worst variety.

-ea. said...

matt volpe- yes buster keaton came to mind as well. ive never really explored his work. whats a good one to start with?

i played a little key and a little guitar on 'remote'. not as much as on some of the others though. dave levita played the cool 80s guitar line and biff sanders played the prominent synth line. other bits and pieces would be mostly me.

-ea. said...

bo- back in the ja days i moved through a few amps; ampeg, gallien-kruger, trace elliot. mostly ampeg though.

nowadays live i play an ashdown. ive done most of the recording through a bass pod pro. although it depends on what im looking for, sometimes sans amp, sometimes direct through my ua 6176 as well.

matt volpe said...

Eric,

THE GENERAL- one of the greatest Keaton films ever, also touted as the most cleverly choreographed comedy film ever put on celluloid. I have a VHS copy of it from back in my film school days. I watch it now and again for inspiration in my promo writing and producing. Other films of his worh checking out is THE PLAYHOUSE and COPS, both hilarious.

I took my wife to go see JAWS with me last night playing on the big screen down at the Jersey shore. After my 150th time, I still am obesessed with the film. God bless my wife though for putting up with me, she's seen it so many times since being with me as she was pretty much on autopilot. I, on the other hand, was clapping and whooping it up everytime Quint came on the screen. I had my own little party. With my JAWS shirt on and all. I wanted to take Avery, but my wife and mom would have killed me. He's turning 1 in two weeks. Don't want to scar the kid...He'll see it soon one day when Gina goes out shopping, hee hee.

That's really cool about the variety of players on "all remote", one can really hear the different influences. They mesh great.

Lemme know what you think the of Keaton films when you get a chance.

Happy Memorial Day to you and Belle.

Matt

Unknown said...

Hey Eric,
Another message from a long lost friend...Nathalie Haught (formly known as Houle). Glad to see that all is well in your world. Would love to hear from you via e-mail to hear how you and your family are doing.
natetoyall@hotmail.com

andy said...

so off topic but what do you think when you see a picture like this:

http://www.clarkson.edu/~parmenae/PigsInXen.JPG

haha I love it!

Anonymous said...

EA-
You can't be more than 17 or 18 ?

andy-thanks for sharing
Ryan

Unknown said...

Navarro looks like he is 12. My God!

Anonymous said...

Hi Eric,
here's Angelo an italian screenwriter (but surfer inside :-)
i'm happy to have found your blog and to read some news about you.

I'm (was?) a great fan of JA and in these years others projects got out from the others (perry, dave and steve). (sorry, i know that many people taks too much about the past and the JA, but please go ahead...)
In this days i'm looking for their project on the net and i found your blog. i said: oh fuck i really want to listen th avery's music! I want to listen to yours songs because you were and you will rest the best player of that band (with steve).

Unfortunately in italy is quite impossible to find a cd of Polar Bear. maybe i'll but in Iternet, ebay or something like this.

The next please: try to find a huge distributor! Come here again in italy to play. You rocks man, and i just wanted to tell you.
now i go back to work...

hugs!

Angelo

-ea. said...

andy- i think two things. first i remember fondly that day in silverlake and all the youthful vigor and excitement of being 20 and in the best band in the world.

then i think, christ ive got a gummy smile.

-ea. said...

ryan & ekimrayd - im not sure but dave and steve might have been 17 or 18 at this point. i was there and even i cant imagine what it must have been like to be 17 and in janes addiction. at 17 i had just about finished failing miserably out of high school and was bussing tables.

-ea. said...

angelo- grazie molto. stai me bene e ci vediamo dopo.

Anonymous said...

Your italian is really good!
Grazie a te! Ci vediamo!

Angelo

Anonymous said...

Good for people to know.