The Clash- London Calling

Would you believe when I first heard London Calling I didn't like it? It was sprawling mix of music very unfamiliar to my circa-1994 grunge-tinted ears. It's amazing how with a little bit of digging, you realize that current music isn't as current as you think. This album was my first course in the drift of ideas from one generation to the next, and how there is nothing completely "new," just a series of information being transmitted and decoded by a different, sometimes younger set of musicians. This has been my best defense against writers block: not worrying about wearing your influences on your sleeves. (aka, Guns of Brixton basically being a template for the Beastie Boys)

There is something incredibly liberating about this ideal! Think about the mass of information out there waiting to be reinterpreted! Of course, you can be TOO derivative, but part and parcel, you are giving a melody, a chord, an idea (whatever!) renewed life. What a better way to pay tribute, especially in this world of information overload. It makes complete sense, just as much as buying albums to support musicians who make music you love to enable them to keep making music.

The record store I picked it up in doesn't exist anymore (Cornelius, NC). I had returned Sleeps With Angels by Neil Young having decided that was not the best "so you want to listen to Neil Young" album, and decided The Clash were my next conquest. It took me years to finally penetrate it's veneer and now I listen to it nearly once every 4 months or so. At the time I had no idea that Sandinista! even existed...

These United States (not the band)

While MFA is not an overtly political band, but Barack Obama has just clinched the Democratic nomination and it is a watershed in the history of our nation. OUT OF MANY, ONE! The irony of a candidate being the beneficiary of his opponents' campaign finance reform work is not lost on us! Some of us were Clinton supporters, others Obama supporters, some part-time McCain advocates, alongside one "hey, I would be happy with both," either way our country is poised to move forward in one grueling stroke of electoral history. Hopefully they can all get a little sleep now, and rest up for the presidential campaign!

No matter what you stand for or who you stand with, make sure you vote in November!

ps- I've got some killer footage of These United States playing TT The Bears in Cambridge, MA that I will upload once I get it OK's by the band. Check 'em out!

Time Machine

I have this big problem of trying to cram too much in, and plan out my life to be busy, busy, busy. At the end of six week cycles, I get all worked up and Anne looks at me and asks "why are we fighting?" and then inevitably the next day or so I will realize that I have not been at home in 6 weekends. Weeks don't count, as there is work to be done and that takes a different kind of travel. Where does the time go? Shows, birthdays, seeing loved ones, boats, cars... etc etc etc. Next thing you know all you want is a good, strong cup of coffee to let go cold as you sort out your memories over an acoustic guitar at 8am on a Saturday.

The good news is this weekend I won't have to call my mom to talk, but will be in her presence as we celebrate her birthday. I feel bad that yesterday in a flustered fit I confided in her how little time we had had at home, and I think it made her feel like I didn't want to see her. NOPE! I cannot wait. There is no cup of coffee like a cup of coffee in her kitchen!!

I've got a great birthday gift for her, made from my recent trip to Boston (where I met up with my childhood best friend Paul Hanna, whom I hadn't seen in 12 years, then witnessed a Jon Lester NO HITTER with from right field SRO tickets! There was something pretty special about being back in Fenway Park, like going home, that and we jumped into conversation without missing a beat. No matter where you are, your past isn't far behind. Make something of it, and don't hide!)

I wish I had a time machine, not to go back in time (anymore), but to make more hours in a day- to slow down the time we already have. I need some time to contemplate this wonderful things happening around me to help me be more grateful!

ps- we're working on a western swing of dates coming up in August! These will not be full-band, but special acoustic shows with Terrence Henry of Anchorage and Patrick Horn of His Own Damn Self.

There Will Be Synths

Happy Memorial Day everyone!

We've been busy working on our summer plans, and want to give a HUGE shout out to our friend Brice Woodall. Brice is an old friend from DC who now lives in Chicago, and is on tour with his band. Not only does his new album sound stellar, he added us to a bill with his band here in Philly! Mark your calendars for Thursday, June 17th: the mighty Brice Woodall and the Positrons w/ My Friend Autumn at L'ETAGE (6th and Bainbridge) Philadelphia.

Be warned: there will be synths!
(that will be the name of my movie, starring Daniel Day Lewis as an evil Rick Wakeman: There Will Be Synths "I drink your voltage!!!")

Anybody have white-soled shoes (size 12.5) I can borrow? Hows about some sunblock?
be good, get into some trouble!
-mcmfa

What The World Needs Now...

It's kind of hard to celebrate a CD release when thousands upon thousands of people have been dying in Asia. First the cyclone in Burma, now the earthquake in China. Some people might try to convince you that this is mother nature correcting herself and taking lives with her, do not succumb to this dehumanization. This is the same attitude that leads toward nihilists crashing planes into buildings and people blowing themselves up to zero gain. Please try to help, even if it's just contemplating these people's pain and suffering!
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

We would like to thank everyone who came out in support of our shows this weekend. There was an outpouring of love, and we hope that we returned that to you tenfold in our evening of merriment. Especially in the face of torrential rain, we hope you stayed dry and didn't miss getting stuck in the mud out at Radiohead! Sorry we couldn't hang out for longer after our set, we had 3 hours of eye-strain to endure to get ourselves in bed for work Monday morning. And now it's already Tuesday! How'd they do that!

Bear with us while we revamp the website too. Our priority was to get the album released for you fine people, now the website for the lurkers. You know who you are!

The Adventures of Pete and Pete

Just popped in my copy of "Music from the Adventures of Pete and Pete" by Polaris (nee Miracle Legion) and I am transported back to the summer of 1995. I am on my way to the Charlotte airport to pick my parents up after their trip to Germany to see my sister, who is not yet married, but is living as an au pair in the Fatherland to learn the language (and to be near her now husband.)

I've popped in the Cassingle that I got from mailing in box tops from Frosted Flakes or something, and am blasting the excellent "Hey Sandy" while speeding to make it on time. It's summer in Charlotte, and the windows are up up up and the A/C is on on on.

There was nothing strange about getting a tape of three songs from a supposed kids' show. Nothing! The show was like being on drugs and I could watch it with my girlfriends' little sister without batting a lash (of course, not being ON drugs).

I am 95% sure this is still in print, and would recommend it to anyone who likes jangley pop or old R.E.M. Check out the Mezzotint label, run by Mark Mulcahy himself (I think).

Flashy Flash Flash

check out this animation that now adorns our myspace page. we should change it around and call our weekend of shows our "flash intro release party!"


The CDs are shipping in today, I will believe when I see it. Part of me thinks that somehow I will wake up and it will be 5/21/04 and it will be the day after our first recording session. If by some reason tomorrow I am 4 years younger, please bear with me!

Vacationland

We headed to Cape May this weekend for a band weekend of music, music, skee ball, and basketball. And more basketball. At 50 cents a play, we racked up far more tickets at basketball than skeeball, and we could go head-to-head. Besides, Matt's 300+ point skeeball game was maligned when the machine read "CAL". WTF? Gimme my tickets!

To recap: Mighty Chris Kudela of the St. John's Red Storm (nee Men) held out a formidable 68 point showing, and the four of us played that machine so much it ran out of tickets twice!! Jon Heller of the Temple Owls proved to Kentucky Wildcat Matt Cummins that the left hoop was in fact counting the baskets correctly, but then was subject to 10 3 pointers in a row in Matt's only 60+ point game. It was never clear if Jim Greif was a Pitt Panther or a George Mason Fightin' Fairfaxian Bricklayer, so we'll just call him Switzerland, and yeah, the Swiss like to block shots. WTF? Gimme a quarter!

In culinary news: Matt wasn't hip to Jon's burger concoction, but missed the instruction to leave the burger on the bleeding side of medium rare. Mr. Grillmaster also vetoed grilling the chicken burgers, as Jim would surely not like them flavored with the charcoal they were slowly dripping down into. Jim did pick up some pretty killer veggie chips that made a snack trinity with garden salsa sunchips and bold party chex mix. And make that not one, not Two, but THREE bags of microwave popcorn. And boat races, c'mon Chris, will spades EVER win? WTF?

The neighbors were great about our noise, one admonished his guests for potentially staying inside on such a beautiful day, and the other couldn't hear our acoustic stylee. Turns out our sound isn't much louder than a weed whacker or other such lawnscaping tools. Had we only known this at the Essjay, we would have mowed the lawn more regularly AND had Dano do it while we were practicing in the basement! ps- Mattresses on the windows help, just make sure you don't kill your drummer with them.

We have new songs to perform! We have shows coming up! We have shows in the works! The weather is getting super-nice (hella-nice for all you reading from California)! Look for photos on the website soon!

pax,
mcmfaxoxoxox

Mark Your Calendars!

For Immediate Release:

My Friend Autumn's long promised debut full-length, "Summer Music For Winter People" will be released on Tuesday, May 6th, 2008!

Recording sessions began in earnest in 2004 when the band had just 2 members. Delayed by milestones- graduation, marriage and death- the record is ultimately about navigating life and the hope that who you once were is constantly being revised for the better. With our best line-up to date, MFA is poised to take over your mind: one song at a time. Four years in the making, open your mind and let us inside!

xoxoxo,
mcmfa

Yesterday

I've been following the hype surrounding REM's new record, Accelerate, with a somewhat keen eye. I'm not one of those people who scold "new" REM, and canonize "old" REM. While their pre-"quitting touring" output is seminal and is a must listen, I do not discriminate against anything after. Actually, I consider "Up" to be a classic. How many bands do you hear being influenced by those who have influenced them? Bands don't stick around that long. Imagine Pavement reuniting and playing "Stockton Kwassa Kwassa" and taking back the cheekiness Vampire Weekend seems to have lifted from the "Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain" promo materials. (Of course, REM was also borrowed mixer Nigel Godrich, Radioheads' producer, which could explain a lot!)

The next album, "Reveal," was entertaining, and showed hints of the band looking backwards into their own catalog for inspiration. But by the time "Around The Sun" landed, I couldn't take it. The songs plodded, while the production seemed grafted from a David Gray album. It was obviously dialed in. REM is a corporation (any band lasting over 25 years is as hard to disband as Bear Stearns) and I was suspicious that this lugubrious album was it!

BUT WAIT, there's more. REM's not dead.

"Supernatural Superserious" sounds like dinosaurs awakening. Moreover, REM is deeply entrenched in Warner Brothers. There won't be many albums released this year that get this much of a push, a practice that evokes a sort of nostalgia post-modern consumerism. Regardless of what other people think, I like the sound of this song. It's reminiscent of "New Adventures in Hi Fi," coincidentally (?) my favorite REM album (!)

ps- I could really go for a Pavement reunion, though would prefer them to leave all vampires out of it.

Black Postcards

Not sure if this is a good thing. I get obsessed with bands every so often. About 10 years ago I was introduced to Luna, and had to buy all of their albums. Yes, even their "we're signed to a major label but have no hope" phase record "Pup Tent." C'mon, it was designed by Frank Olinsky, that's pretty cool.

So here I am, post-Luna, reading Dean Wareham's memoir "Black Postcards." The jury is still out on this one, as it is far less entertaining than David Lee Roth's memoir, Crazy From The Heat, which is one of my favorite reads of all time (ADD Theatre!) I am not sure if it is a good thing to read the extension of the already detached personality of Luna's albums. It jumps in with a contentious quote from his former bandmate: that's like going on a date with a girl who starts off conversation talking about her ex-boyfriend's gripes with her.

Leave the baggage!

Now Hear This!

We're moving forward with our release schedule for "Summer Winter for Music People" to hit around mid-May. In the meantime, we've added a guitarist: Chris Kudela. You'll see Chris sporting both his trademark Fender Jaguar and an acoustic guitar to round out our sound. Chris also fills in the gaps with vocal harmonies, and swears that he's tried to understand the game of soccer.

The band descended upon Molly Maguires on Saturday, for an impromptu 6 song set. This was our live debut in this configuration, and by all reports, we pulled off being a non-Irish band on the greenest night of the year. Well, that is if you are Catholic. If not, don't expect us to try to play tonight! Trepidation gave way once we realized the O'Tasty-crazed crowd actually started dancing to our acoustic stylings. My guess is my apology for not being an Irish band went a long, long way! Many thanks to our friends and families for egging us on!

Our website has been renovated with a placeholder, should you care to check us out in our practice space. We have yet to name it, all ideas are welcome.

xoxox,
mcmfa

Our Best Friends Band

I feel a little conflicted. Somehow in the search for shows, and other band related activities, I have used up some "come see my show" cred with friends in order to drum up a crowd for O'Tasty playing a show at Molly Maguires in Phoenixville. Their drummer is our drummer too.

Booking O'Tasty a road show upon their request, the people at Molly's have been awesome, and even encouraged me to slip them a copy of our record. Turns out, they don't just book Irish bands. And, I am encourageable. Sweet!

This wouldn't be that big a deal, but O'Tasty is coming up from DC, and I am a Phoenixvillian (I am going to shorten that to just Villain at some point). People in Pennsylvania do not know O'Tasty is named after a Chinese take out joint on Columbia Ave. I sort of think "Potato Famine" would be a better name in this circumstance, but you are the band you are, and as Ward Williams of Jump, Little Children told me wayyyy back (while talking about an opening band they had named Area 51), "It's just a band name!"

So in the meantime, I have cooked up a plan. Since I am effectively the promoter, My Friend Autumn is going to play a few songs in O'Tasty's set break. This is huge. We've been slumming it in living rooms across the Schuylkill Triad (I just made that term up) cobbling together a set, and now we are about to step out into the world of self-booked shows and room temperature draft beer. That's not to say Molly Maguires has warm beer, it's just when you're mid-set, your beer goes warm. That's all. MFA hereby will attempt to play few enough songs that our beers stay cold, as to not ruin the St. Patricks Day vibe for the greater good. We're Big Star and Pavement playing Lemonheads songs, after all.

Details:
O'Tasty (w/ a short MFA set)
Saturday, March 15 9pm
Molly Maguires Pub
197 Bridge Street
Phx, PA

If you feel so inclined, I created an evite. Send it to anyone!

Tomorrow Never Knows

If there is one song that would represent the entirety 20th century music, it would be "Tomorrow Never Knows" by the Beatles. Seriously, much as you can probably hum Beethoven's "Fifth" or "Spring" from Vivaldi's "Four Seasons," Tomorrow Never Knows is the vehicle in which entire genres of recorded music have been delivered. You've got trance. You've got hip hop. You've got sampling. The Beatles already did the power-pop thing earlier on that same album, so I won't include that, but man, that song must have launched a million imaginations.

Not that the Beatles need another accolade, but this song truly represents the dawn of the recorded age: using the studio as an instrument.

And from here, I go into the weekend with a song without a chorus to ponder!

This is Pretty Cool

So, it's not every day you discover an artist by their amazing website. So many band websites look the same. That is why ours looks like it does, which has now fallen into disrepair.

So anyway, there's this guy Billy Harvey who has a really sweet website. Designers the world over were inundated with links to his website in 2005. Check it out.

The real reason why I am posting is that he is currently on a tour of the U.S. and of A. in a bio-diesel converted 1983 Merdeces. He is video-blogging his adventures on his myspace. He comes off sort of like Garth from Wayne's World and Beck's lovechild. Friday he is showing up in Philly at Northstar Bar as the first act of 4 bands. Come check him out. He gave me good Austin record store recommendations in 2006, too. Good guy.

On that same trip, I picked his record up at Waterloo and listened while driving around in a rental car, and a then-soccer-teammate asked me "is this your band." I laughed, saying "you think I would actually drive around listening to my own band!!"

ps- Anne, don't tell anyone.

(got it) Made In China

Checking on the website stats page this morning, I am floored to find hits from China. And not just hits, but an IP collecting every single piece of music we have on the site. We are not RIAA members, so don't worry about us sicking the dogs. Actually, as a friend pointed out, this could very well be the first time piracy helped anyone! Free Asian distribution!

If you ever find yourself in China, and you find yourself carousing the multitude of cheeeeap music options, keep an eye out for us and pick up a copy. I will pay you back, hook you up with a legitimate copy, and buy you your next drink when I see you.

Imagine, if you will, rather than piracy, that there is a rogue band learning how to play our songs; and as we speak, an imposter MFA is readying their own album "Democracy Music for Communist People"

NOTE TO THE CHINESE CENSOR READING THIS: we do not condone forced democracy on your people, you need to utilize the government that works best for you.

Boardtape 2008 Has Arrived!

2008's installment of Boardtape is titled "Microdisiac" and consists of all original remixes of some of my favorite artists. For example, one of the best tracks on Galactic's latest record "From The Corner To The Block" is called "Fanfare." "Fanfare" is only a 1:22 long on their record. Under the watchful eye of DJ Adequate, that same track becomes 4:23 with some twists and turns.

If you are the legal owner to the sound recordings and disprove of anyone reinterpreting your stellar work, email me and I will take yours down.

Enjoy!
Budget DJ and self-styled internet Cred Tycoon,
DJ Adequate

Track Listing:
Mr. Bitterness (adequate mix)- Soul Coughing
Get Innocuous (vocal remix)- LCD Soundsystem featuring Murry Wilson
Fanfare (adequate remix)- Galactic
Positive Tension (drums of navarone mix)- Bloc Party
Les Yper Sound (motive mix)- Stereolab
Point (ape shall not kill ape mix)- Cornelius
Little Black Ache (bad needle mix)- Bishop Allen
So What'cha E-pro (dance mix)
You may note that DJ Adequate tried the So What'cha Want/E-pro mash-up before to varied results. This is a extended alternate version, listen for the reverse turntable scratches

It Will Be Mine, oh yes, It Will Be Mine

Helping your friend buy and amp is an involved process: the deal is you play while he twiddles knobs and pushes the amp one way or the other. Especially since this amp is to be a direct contrast/corrollary to your own, you've got to keep your ears open. (ed note: personnel announcement to follow)

You see, in these days of chain stores and electronic sameness, historically independent music stores are the places you find your true sound. Why go for the same set up that every else has when you will end up sounding the same as them? And that is not a good thing. This side of modding everything, you hit up these little independent shops where the shop owner talks your ear off, and then tells you to play anything as long as you put it back correctly. And the place is a candy shop. And you're a kid. With a couple hundred bucks. ha! Somehow I've eeked a sound out of my set up when it is the same. I try to help others not make the same mistake: shop at small shops! shop at small shops! get esoteric gear that you corral to make a sonic thumbprint for yourself.

...and there it was. sitting on the counter. after hours of twiddling knobs and talking "sound" it was time to check out, and since I wasn't actually buying anything, I took the opportunity to carouse the PA section, and then the hidden keyboard section. For the first time in my life I crossed a Moog in a music store. A minimoog– lying expectantly on the counter, I had to ask questions about it. How much? How much work does it need? When did it come in? Then, they took my name to call first when it is done. Sweet Jesus, I did not plan on finding one of these in real life, just eBay! We've been messing with a CZ-101 to make it sound like a Moog, but I want knobs!

It wanted me. It saw me first; I just had to approach it! It was like Wayne's World without Stairway. Moogs are the new custom strat. Mark my words.

Adjective, Noun, Verb

Today we were supposed to get some snow, but instead, Philadelphia has turned into what I imagine as our finest replica of an English winter. It's not quite raining. It's not quite foggy. It's definitely not snowing. Soon enough there will be snow, but then there will be rain, then there will be the soup. The soup is what happens when the ground thaws and you miss the road by an inch when you step out of the car. It's not a thud. It's not a thwack. Somewhere in between.

Man, sleep and me don't get along these days. My favorite lunch spot betrayed me last week (I like to think of it as real-time karmic fall out from mocking the Omnivore's Dilemma- the concept, not the book) and my stomach has been topsy turvey ever since. The wine probably doesn't help. Regardless, I woke up last night around 3 and spent the remainder of the tiny hours in a warbly, half-dreaming state. I should start writing songs that way, if I could only figure out how to stay asleep with a guitar in my hand.

Coming soon, an official announcement from MFA World Central Command with regards to people, places, and things.

And stuff. Lots of stuff.

Slow Motion Decay (live video)

Just wanted to let you know there is a live video of us performing "Slow Motion Decay>" up on alumni Matt Sedlar's blog. The video was taken by Kim Lufkin at Staccato in DC, in 2006.

I could critique it from a personal perspective (note to self: there is a reason why bands wear black on stage!) but I will just say it's pretty cool finding video of yourself on the interweb. That is, unless you're Meg White, you just had a nervous breakdown, and some imposter claims to be you in a stag film.

Speaking of which video also exists of another band performing a U2 cover (one of many!) to ring in the third decade of a certain drummers' life. This video hasn't escaped the vault. We'll see!

Matt said it best, that Staccato was totally the Cheers of local rock!