The City Veins

I am going to interrupt our normal scheduled brokenupness to point out that The City Veins have been nominated for a Wammie for best Modern Rock Duo/Group.

It occurs to me that I never thought to create an award tag.

One of the many things that kills me about both the radical right and left is their inability to see the world as it truly is, which is a muddled shade of gray. The right’s blindness to reality is redundant to discuss at this point as they’ve spent the last 8 years demonstrating to the detriment of everyone else, in the nation and the world. But the left’s blindness to reality is also very real and potentially just as dangerous.

I find it curious, though, that outside of true conservative circles the delusional left seems rarely discussed. Maybe I just run in scenes that are too liberal (a definite possibility considering the amount of time I spend in DC and New York), but I think it’s worth noting.

I started thinking about this today after reading this editorial by Greg Anrig in today’s Washington Post. I agree with his central theme, which is that conservatives are facing bleak odds in the fall primarily because their policies (mostly) don’t work, and not just because of Bush’s mismanagement (though that certainly didn’t help).

However, he goes on to state that John McCain is running a “limping, message-free presidential campaign” as if this were a fact. This has been a common theme liberals have been pushing lately, though nothing could be farther from the truth. McCain’s campaign has a definite three-point message, and anyone who’s been paying attention has heard it clearly: 1). McCain’s the only one who can fix gas prices, 2). Obama is a defeatist who wants to lose the war, and 3). Obama is a scary outsider that you can’t trust. Moreover, IT’S WORKING. RealClearPolitics averages the results of all polls together; on June 24th, Obama had a 7.5 point lead over McCain. His current lead is 2.3 points. Does that look to you like McCain’s campaign is “limping”?

For all his faults, I would rather see Obama than McCain. I hope his advisors are more in touch with reality, because he could very, very easily lose this race. John Kerry was up big in summer polls in 2004, just as Dukakis was in the summer of 1988.

Oh, you’re still here?

Thank you to the (maybe) 5 people left reading this after we neglected to post for about a week.  We’ve all been busy with stuff outside of the band like jobs and such (you know, the stuff that actually pays us) so we’ve been pretty bad about posting.

Not much going on City Vein land this week as a result. Although, like Aaron said, we had 2 practices last week in which we tried to write new songs and they were awful.  In one practice, Charles completely forgot how to play the guitar.  He had an audit earlier that day at work and I think our poor Rickenbacker bore the brunt of his frustrations.  In the other, we had some good ideas but nothing coherent or particularly moving.

I will say this about our band, though: I like that we don’t force songs. Writer’s block sucks and can be demoralizing, but we don’t commit to songs unless we really like them. I wish more artists did this. I feel like some artists record and put out every little musical thought they’ve ever had, for better or for worse. Others just phone in it and make mediocre records just to make more money or fill obligations. We don’t do either, which means we might not crank out new music as quickly but when we do, you can be guaranteed we’re excited about it. I like to think that translates on stage as well. Several people have remarked that we seem to have a lot of fun on stage, and we are, in no small part because we really like our songs and njoy playing them. Shouldn’t more artists have that attitude?

Now, some random stuff:

• Velvet Lounge: Has anyone else been blown away by the changes at Velvet? It’s like a whole new place. The boys and I went over there to see Imperial China and Len Bias (both of whom put on excellent shows BTW) and we felt like we were in Bizarro World.  The narrow hallway to the bathroom now has a decent size sitting area, and upstairs walls have been knocked out to create way more space and accommodate a bar. All in all, the changes have been pretty positive (EXCEPT, of course, getting rid of Rob, the best sound guy in all DC). The one complaint I’d have, though, is that the stage now needs to be higher.  If you’re in the back of the upstairs area by the bar, it’s very hard to see the bands.
• I’m Going Hungry: We have been called out by our friend Spencer, and I think I might be down for this. I do love me some Soundgarden and Pearl Jam, and hybrids thereof.
• Running Music: Yesterday at the gym I was running on the treadmill while rocking Radiohead’s K Computer on my iPod.  CNN was on mute, but it was the same old high-school-type political bullshit they run incessantly: “Did you hear what McCain said about Obama?” “Yeah, and then Obama was like that’s bullshit and no likes you.” The usual garbage that passes for “the best political team on TV”. Anyway, they come back from commercial and go right into this crap, when “Electioneering” comes on my iPod.  I had to laugh because as soon as they showed the candidates, Thom starts singing:

I will stand…I will stand for nothing. Say the right thing when electioneering. I trust I can rely on your vote.

Happy weekend everyone. Next weekend (August 9), we’re at the DC Arts Center in Adams Morgan for a bone cancer benefit with Anchorage and My Friend Autumn. Great show, great bands, great cause.

One of our new songs, “Freedom After The Fall,” features Spencer in I clapping counter rhythms in 5/4. It is by far the most obnoxious thing that I have every done musically, but it sounds really good, particularly on the EP.

I want people to know that I feel guilty when we play it.

Recently, he have been playing better concerts, with better audiences. Audiences that want to participate. Clapping is normally an easy place for everyone to join in, and this part is in a what seems like a natural place for everyone to clap along, except that it is a difficult part. I am still counting it in my head when we play it. The result is this moment when people start to clap, but then give up.

That is why part of me wants to cut out the clapping part live.

Except that it sounds really good.

I contemplated writing out the rhythm here, but I think that may be more obnoxious then the actual part (if such a thing is possible).

Photo by Flickr user mrplough.

Another week, another exciting first for The City Veins. Tonight we pop our Black Cat cherry! I’m pretty excited. Black Cat is somewhere we’ve all wanted to play forever, since before we were the Brotherhood of Veins, and to have this opportunity is pretty freakin awesome. In fact, playing the Black Cat was one of the only goals we had when we started this here band.

We need your help though - the more people we can bring out tonight, the better chance we have at getting one of those coveted weekend, mainstage spots in the future (which is our main goal).

So, IF:

• you like us (you’re on our site, aren’t you?) OR
• you’ve just heard about us (welcome!) OR
• you’ve never been to one of our shows OR
• you’re curious to find out what the buzz is about OR
• you’ve seen us dozens of times and can’t get enough

AND

• you’re free tonight at 9 PM
• you’re in the the DC metro area

THEN

• Come out to Black Cat.

It will rock. A lot. I guarantee.

(PS - Sorry to get all so promotional but, in the words of De La Soul, stakes is high).