KILL ME GENTLY, TINY DANCER

Sweet.

Saturday night we played a show in St John at Peppers Pub. I may possibly have met my favorite sound man in the whole world (Gord!) and also have had the scariest drive of my life to ol' SJ.

First of all, may I just register a complaint with management that every time we do a show out of town, it decides its high time to rain (And mist about like one of Stephen Kings wet dreams). Its not really a complaint - more like a neighborly observation. So... I mean, I dig the mist, I like the water, but I'm also a bit of a panicked freak of nature when someone else is behind the wheel. Specially when it looks like we are driving through land of the lost at 140 Km with high beams on. ;)

I think I may have left finger print marks in the arm rest! Just letting the world know I was there.

Obviously we arrived safe and alive. I had a lot of fun, and realized that vodka tastes far better with less water in it. It's important that you figure out these things when you are working. When else would you have time?

gangs not all there, but hey. we had beer.









Huuuah.

LOOK MA, NO HANDS!

Morning after haze

Spending 11 hours in the studio is actually wonderful. Dragging my sorry butt OUT of the studio at 6 am was the hard part.... and the hardest of all parts was getting out of my fuzzy bed this morning. Specially when this is what happens every morning -



That's Kobe by the way. A total pain in the ass, but cute as the day is long.


The session was great last night - and great in a whirl wind kind of OH MY GOD WE HAVE TO GET THIS DONE RIGHT AWAY. It's such a great feeling though when you're recording. I think it's my equivalent to that feeling that men and women get when they are in "lurve". I had happy butterflies (and bags under my eyes, but come on... thats sexy right?).


BTW - Check out my video where I introduce the new members of the band if you have'nt seen it. They are really great guys - and wonderful musicians - which I hear is important. pffft. ;)



I am really excited for the EP that's coming out. I am even more excited to start playing the new tunes live. I've been in a cocoon for the last couple months just writing and going a bit mad on excess alone time. It's been a good thing for the music ;). As in theres more of it - I may grow a beard and commit to a full fledged life of solitude with my keys if I don't start getting out there soon tho. And that's just a terrifying thought.


Outside of the band - here\s whats new in my entertainment world:




Esben and the Witch.

Ethereal and beautiful. I feel like meditating and going skydiving all at once when I listen to these guys. They are a fantastic group from Brighton, England that you should check out. The 'Marching Song' is the one that got them noticed and is pretty heavy. There's also a very cool music video for it.



Veruca Salt

Blast from the past! Can't stop listening to these rockin ladies. The guitars are so heavy and its a personal favorite thing of mine to do. What you say? Listen to a girl shred on the guitar. And their songs from the first few albums are just so damn good (new ones are too but im a sucker for the first few albums). Go rewind time and listen to Eight Arms To Hold You.



xxxx



Now, im off to find some caffeine. I NEED IT.

xxx
Tonella

New, new, new...

There are new members in the band... and I think you should know about it. I also think that you should know there is new music in the works! It is making it's way to the wonderful world and should arrive shortly (I like to think of it as a new baby on the way - minus the placenta and birthing pains).

First of all... new members.

Camilo Villamizar - gracing us with his guitar skills. I've been jamming with Camilo for a couple months now, and it's been going swimmingly. Next week Ill post some rehearsal vids so you can all check it out. You may know him from Dub Antenna or The Jaclyn Reinhart Band (check TJRB out here .)

Jason Sonier - our human metronome - drums. I've known Jason for quite a few years now, and you may know him from the band 'Names and Faces'. I love their music and recommend you check them out. Do so here

Evan Leblanc - vocals and... spoons? Its too early to tell. But this boy has pipes and you really need to go listen to his band and give them some love. Check them out here


We also have a show coming up on April 17th at the Wilsers Room in Fredericton, NB! It's nice and early, so all you folks out there who hate the late, can come have a drink and be home in plenty of time to throw on your one-sy and hide from the cold. I do it every night.


Do a little dance. Make a little love. So on.

xxxx
Tonella

update

oh if i had a...

Oh if I had a brain.
If I had a brain.
I'd be cold as the stone and rich as the fool
who turned all those good hearts away.


I have to say, I really do love this song. Birdy (who I was turned on to be my ridiculously brilliant student in Toronto Sydney Delong ... go check her out, shes such a beautiful talent) is one of those singers that takes you by suprise. So a side effect of that is the songs she covers take me by suprise. This was one of those... so when someone requested it I said a-ok. Why not.

here 'tis.





x

two albums...oh my

Lofty ambitions and the need to make up for a recordless year have dictated that there will be two albums out this year.

Laying cards on the table, I think its safe to say that in my own day to day life I exhibit a certain Jekyll and Hyde persona. That same quality tends to exude over to my world of music - and how could it not?

My love - first and foremost - is the heavier piano driven cabaret tunes. Its a tough call, because on one hand I realize that the market for this type of music is still being built. "This kind of music" doesn't really have a niche yet - it's too soon. And I think that's a great thing. Music is a many facetted mistress - what she wants from you, she probably does not want from me. And let's be honest, she always seems to want the weirdest things from me... never satisfied, always wanting more. Just like a woman - that evil muse. We've had this problem when we've played festivals or competitions - and that is that the judges do not know where to put us. After hearing this many times, I have felt like throwing in my keys and saying Fuck It. "Whom would you like me to sound like, oh Gracious music Lords? Tell me whom to copy, so that you can label this and give me a good score!". But really? REALLY? That's not my MO. And I think that there are people out there who relate and love the kind of music we are making. Just because they don't have a clip board and an expensive pen doesn’t make them matter less. It makes them matter MORE.

Artists like NIN, Tori Amos, Maynard, and The Dresden Dolls brought this type of music out of me, as before them I was still inside the shell of where I wanted to go. The group Evanescence came out and I knew that even though I liked them and the tunes Amy Lee and Ben Moody were making - there was a different plane that I wanted to go to that was beyond metal accompanied by the piano (I do still frown when people compare me to Amy - a girl and a piano do not an Evanescence make).

This was one of the reasons that there were no guitars in Dreaming In Red, or the live band up to that point. I did not want to fall in to that metal & piano pocket, as I knew that would be an easy place to live. I wanted... different. The cabaret element to the music that I wanted to build is partially there due to my love of theatrics. The dark burlesque coupled with traditional indie rock melodies and a dash of something new was where I wanted to steer the boat. I'm still on my way.

I think this new album is going to have more tones of blues-rock, dancing somewhere in the middle with the cabaret flavor in there. A little bit heavier in areas, but not the way you'd expect. Be afraid. ;)


My second Love - The folk/indie pop music with a dash of wistful. I think I write a lot of this material because I spend so many nights by my lonesome with a piano and an acoustic guitar. The folky soft tunes come naturally by the light of computer screens and insomnia.

I also think that my softer side has a chance to shine, the part of me that really has been honed since I was younger. Belting out to the piano by myself is just as comfortable to me now as sliding in to a pair of jogging pants (lets all be honest - jogging pants make the world a better place).

I want to continue to let that music out - and I want to build it. I foresee cellos, mandolins, acoustic guitars and drums with brushes.


In short, good things. All good things. I hope you guys are looking forward to the albums as much as I am.. it's going to be an interesting ride.


xxx
T