The City Veins

Well, tonight is our first concert at the Velvet Lounge. Hopefully it won’t be a complete disaster. We are playing with Tenley, and band from American University. We should be going on around 9:00 or so, and tickets are $6.00 (I think, but I am not sure). We hope to see you there.

I have also added a new version of Cultured Capital. This version came from our recording session with Spencer, and features real drums. It is amazing how much energy real drums can add to a song.

We have also set up a mailing list. We are still in the early stages of designing it, but please sign up.

 Cultured Capital [3:35m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

As Aaron wrote, when we recorded the album we didn’t have a drummer, which left me to create the drums digitally on a keyboard. It is a very weird way to do drums, and while I was happy with the results, they definitely sound a little fake. The problem is that the attack is the same for every hit, i.e. the drums are always at the same volume, and I used the computer to lock the drums into the beat. Both of these give the drums a very mechanical feel.

That is why it is great to have a drummer, particularly a drummer with access to a recording studio. So here is the first song from the session that Aaron referred to earlier. Ryan did a great job recording and mixing. Note, I am using a new wordpress plugin for the first time, and I am not exactly sure how it is going to work.

 Strike Up The Band [3:26m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Welcome to the blog for the band The City Veins. We formed about a month or so ago. We got started when Aaron, Adam and I decided to record an album for the RPM Challenge. Aaron, Adam, and I have been playing music together since High School, and decided to record the album mainly for fun. We wrote and recorded the album in my bedroom over the course of two very long weekends. It turns out that we like the product so much that we decided to form a band. Spencer was nice enough to come along, although he might not appreciate what he is getting into yet. You should feel free to download the album, “A Weekend Affair,” from the sidebar on the right.

I am still working on adding some things to this blog. If you have any suggestions, please leave them in the comments.

I must admit to having no active part in this process aside from moral support.  It’s ten o’clock at night, I have no work to do tomorrow, and we’re recording “real” drums to replace our canned drums from our first sessions.  I hardly understand what’s going on around me (such is the lead-singer’s mantra), but it’s interesting regardless.  We’ve chosen what we deem to be our best 4 songs to be re-recorded, then pressed for free distribution at our shows.  From past experiences with bands we all are aware that people love free shit, though I suspect those who receive unsolicited CD’s from bands they don’t know probably just throw it out.  Either way, we want to have something to give people in a desperate attempt to get anyone to listen to us.  We’ll put our best foot forward and hope for the best.

The songs are certainly different with Spencer’s playing added.  He plays hard, fast, adding power to what often seemed thin.  I sit here trying to book gigs, receiving plenty of automatic e-mails in return.  Every club owner wants to be contacted by e-mail first, not for the sake of convenience but so they can ignore you.  Fair enough: whiny band people would get on my nerves as well.  But it’s shitty being the whiny band guy seeking low pay. 

As you can tell I have no real insight on this subject, just a knack for winding on about nothing.  But listen to my words, I am a lead singer.