If you’re reading this and you have kids, or if you have nieces or nephews, or if you spend the holidays with little tikes running around at some point, or even if you’re basically just an adult child, then keep reading. I think that’ll include at least ninety percent of everybody who comes here.
I recently finished a kids album called The LMNOPs, and you should ALL buy several copies for you and your loved ones. Even if it won’t arrive in time for Christmas, you can buy the digital copy, and just promise the kids that the physical copy is coming in the mail. Check out the whole album here: http://thelmnops.bandcamp.com/
OR at the very least, you can check out our first music video on vimeo or youtube:
I had a really great time making the tunes with Zach, lead singer of Cornbelt Chorus, which is a local band I’ve been in for years. He writes and sings most of the material, and I arrange and play most of the music on it. My awesome artistic wife Laura made all the visuals for the artwork. We have more songs on the way, so if you dig it, you can expect more in the future. Also a big thanks to Brandon Goodwin for making the video for us- he’s done several MM vids among tons of other awesome videos.
We had a really great time playing Kimmel and Leno recently. The hardest part of Kimmel was figuring out how to get all the cameras attached to us in a way that didn’t impede our playing movements too much. Mine wasn’t too bad, but apparently Darren’s was digging into his skull the whole five songs. (We played four more songs just for the crowd after the cameras stopped.) One great moment was at the very end of Allies- right after the last note, I kicked a beach ball good and hard, and my shoe flew right along with it. The man in the front row saved me though, catching it cleanly and tossing it back like a center fielder taking a routine fly ball. Thanks shoe-catcher, wherever you are. Here’s the link to that video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DO5PFRiypNs
Both Jimmy Kimmel and Jay Leno were very pleasant hosts to us, as were all the staffers. I can’t really pick a favorite experience though, because on Kimmel you get the huge outdoor stage, with a real live standing crowd, and then on Leno we all got our pictures with Miss Piggy! So, I guess we’ll call it a draw.
Well, our intro tour was ‘great success!’ And much good came along with our 30+ shows. We figured out how to fit more GPSi (gear per square-inch) onto some very, lets say, cozy stages. Quite a few nights found people jammed in so tight that they were less than a foot from me, and just as close on sidestage to my right. I came much too close to whacking several folks with my headstock. And it was kind of an honor system of me trusting the lovely fans not to fiddle with my pedals, which they were more or less on top of. (I only remember one over-zealous fan getting carried away at one point, and trying to help me create crazy delay sounds by turning a few dials.) It actually worked out to my advantage numerous times, when I would get assistance from them fixing my setlist or untangling a cord or two, so thanks to those helpful folks. I know that at several shows, Paul accidentally crowd surfed, just because he started to lose his balance and fall, and so the crowd just swept him right off his feet and gave him the most graceful alternative possible to falling down. So a huge thanks to all the wonderful crowds that came out and made our first Odd Soul tour a very satisfying one.
Other positives? I learned how valuable our awesome crew is. Totally saving us from danger, harm, embarrassment and any other pitfalls lurking at shows. Seriously, they really are amazing at what they do and we couldn’t function the same without them. The seductive hammond from the 1940s really tried hard to kill Paul, and me as well, numerous times through strong electric currents which feel like lightning bolts and leave you painfully confused and bewildered. Between Nate taping up all metal on the organ, and specialists in several towns working on it, we eventually minimized the danger.
And I had ample time to learn the basics of my first iphone this tour, which will hopefully allow me to be able to blog a little more often. In the meantime for those of you that are hooked on Instagram, feel free to follow me (grandepic) since many of my posts are often band related. But I’ll still put a few pics here for kicks. My favorite detail is from the Rolling Stone Japan shoot, where the writers didn’t even attempt my last name. Or maybe in that country I’m just known simply as “Todd.”
So I thought I’d upload another Gman track for folks to soak up. This is probably my favorite instrumental I’ve made to date and definitely my favorite one to play live. There’s actually a pretty decent live video of this one from a show back round about ’06 or so. You can find it if you can figure out how to navigate myspace since the 4 years since you logged in last.
It’s entertaining when I think about the crazy stuff I attempt to add into tracks all the time. I remember adding to the intro a voicemail that a friend left me and all I could hear was just crazy strong wind gusts happening. So listen for that. Not as easy to hear as something like in my track ‘passe’ where I inserted a nextel two-way walkie talkie sound byte as the whole intro. Anyone remember that feature?
If you just read this entry title without knowing any of the new Mutemath songs, it actually sounds like a really boring instructional health video.
My first music video with the band is finally out and about and all over MTV and such, and we’re quite proud of it. Darren and I were both bleeding at different times of the shoot. Apparently that’s a requirement for all Mutemath videos- someone’s gotta try something crazy enough to draw blood. I believe we’re putting out a making of/blooper reel which should be really entertaining as well. Anyway, here’s the link and I hope you enjoy. -todd
If I’m looking, I usually can find tons of pictures of recent mutemath shows. It’s nice to find really kick A ones, but it’s even better to find hilarious ones. I think for this post i’ll just throw a few on here for some laughs.
This one/two combo below makes me want to ask you to insert your own captions. I just can’t believe I acutally made this face at all:
We’ve never tried to have a staring contest during a live show, but It’d be a challenging game I’m sure. And then this next one (also from the Mercury Lounge NY show just looks like the rhythm section is just screwin around in soundcheck or something, but it’s actually during the show:
And here’s a funny one as well. You might have to look carefully…
The light spot is just in a very strange area- like maybe I was playing with my fly down and they had to blur it out.
So since I just now figured out an easy way to make animated gifs, I’m gonna do one more. Here’s a warning to parents what can happen to your cute little toddlers if you aren’t careful:
I’ll end with this super cute drawing a Japanese fan made of us. Feel free to post your own funny pics if you come across any.
“So Todd, I know you haven’t played a show with us yet, but for starters is it okay if we fly you 15 hours to Japan and put you in front of a crowd about yay big, with no soundcheck, and maybe have Paul come inches from ninja-kicking you in the head?”
“Uhhhhhh, yeah…..sure. I could probably do that.”
It’s been seriously hectic these first few weeks as new guitar guy. And it’s not even like we’re playing shows every night, but somehow I’ve still found myself exhausted numerous times. These are some highlights (with some illustrations):
—Toward end of practices- accidentally fell face down in a rainy, puddle-ridden gravel lot (cuts and bruises)—- darren and roy said it looked like a penguin dive.
—Tulsa storm destroys our stage as we’re starting show (which I posted earlier)
—Amazing first shows in Tokyo/Osaka @ Summer Sonic
—Did some deep thinking here…
—Ate the most painful ramen noodles (click the pic bigger)…
—Time travelled back to the U.S. (left right after eating lunch in Japan, arrived 12 hours later to L.A. just in time to eat lunch on the same day)
—Played to a slammin crowd @ The Troubadour…..(while Paul BLEW my mind on the rhodes)
—Got pizza on hollywood blvd, and while carrying leftovers back to hotel, had THREE completely separate guys on different blocks ask me if they could have a slice. The last guy offered to rap freestyle for a slice. SOMEONE please order that street some pizzas!! Hollywood Blvd is hungry…
—Stayed up outside all night shooting a music video for blood pressure- until the sun actually came up- which you’ll prob notice in the video when it’s released.
—While sprinting back and forth in said music video shoot- tried sprinting backwards while holding my guitar and proceeded to fall, completely laid out, backwards onto the pavement right in front of Paul and the main camera, which was still rolling. I held the guitar up in the air the whole fall, and kept the it and my precious noggin from hitting the ground. Popped right back up, and did some more sprints. What’s a few bloody cuts and a sprained wrist in exchange for a sweet music vid?
—Rocked with a really fun audience at the lovely Saenger Theatre in Mobile, AL. Then this happened….
If you can’t tell- I got on my knees to get to his level, and he promptly one-upped me by dropping to HIS knees. Touche little man. And +1up for the stylish ear protection.
—Got to come home for a day and a half break to relax, and write this, and now it’s off to the Mercury Lounge in NY. Really looking forward to playing more shows, and trying to get hurt less often. I hope this post finds you well and in a pleasant surfing mood. Thanks for reading,
So this has been brewing for many months now, but I’m proud to say that I’m officially the new guitarist for MUTEMATH. It’s an awesome time to join them, for many reasons of course, but especially because their newest album, Odd Soul, is some of my favorite stuff they’ve done to date. And it kicks all kinds of tail, all over the record. We’ve rehearsed for several weeks now, and the new songs have an incredible energy live.
My first show (and their first show with the new material) was supposed to be in Tulsa, Ok for a festival with The Flaming lips just a few days ago, but right before we finished our soundcheck, literally just a few minutes before we kicked it off, a crazy thunder/hail/sideways rain/g-force wind storm sprung up on us and pretty much destroyed the stage, along with a bunch of The Flaming Lips gear, including a massive video/lighting rig (which crushed a fence as it fell). There are several vivid videos on youtube documenting the crazy….
Us setting up while the roof blows away:
—-that huge metal tower to my right completely blew over just a few mintues after this video was shot- i was right next to it.
And then this (skip to 2:00):
Needless to say the show was cancelled.
So instead my first show with them looks to be in Tokyo/Osaka, Japan for the Summer Sonic festival in just a few days. The rest of the band has been there a handful of times already, but it’s my first time visiting Japan, so I’ve got a lot of newness to take in over the next week.
I’m honored to be playing with them though, and I’ve been beyond impressed by their musical prowess. I’m sure I’ll have plenty of fun updates for you in the near future. For now, here’s a picture of our recent practice space, and one of me getting a little too hyped up and destroying one of darren’s drums.
Here is a cover I did years ago of a Muse song. It was one of my favorites on the album Absolution, and after hearing it several times I realized, “Hey, this chorus progression is totally like an R&B, smooth, hold me sweetly vibe!” So I wanted to hear it slowed down, and this is where my version ended up going.
I have fond memories of the upright piano in this recording, which I bought at a local thrift store for 75 bucks. The overall tuning of the piano was a half step below pitch so I just decided to leave it there for good, which really made a drastic shock to my brain. I’d sit down and play just a nice solid B chord for example, and all of a sudden that chord sounded completely different to what I was used to- since it was coming out as a B flat sound. That strange feeling on that upright had a huge part in inspiring several of my tunes, like by my side, poison, and further away from you.
I also really like the hammond b3 effect on this track (pictured below)- which had a broken vibrato option on it. And when you flipped it on it ended up skipping the sound, which some have labeled a “motorboat vibrato” feel.
The other pic doesn’t have much to do with the song- except that it’s me as a lil’ lad, preparing my brain for the ability to take a very, very fast song and make it very, very slow.
Hello friends. I’m happy to post that my self-titled full album is now for sale on itunes! So feel free to click skip and jump on over and give it a listen. My lovely wife Laura designed my artwork, and approved my song order as well.
I plan to upload more songs here soon, as well as update you on several other projects I’m involved with, so hit me back soon.
If you’re reading this and you have kids, or if you have nieces or nephews, or if you spend the holidays with little tikes running around at some point, or even if you’re basically just an adult child, then keep reading. I think that’ll include at least ninety percent of everybody who comes here.
