The Sexy Accident Blog

INK reviews You're Not Alone

2012-02-14T15:20:00.001-06:00

Thanks to J. Howell and Laurie Mansfield at INK for today's review of the You're Not Alone EP! Should hit the print edition tomorrow.

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Largehearted Boy

2012-02-09T09:21:00.000-06:00

Thanks to David at largehearted boy for featuring our You're Not Alone EP in today's daily download list!

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KKFI interview replay

2012-02-04T23:57:00.001-06:00

For those who couldn't tune into our interview on KKFI last week, here's a replay!

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First review of new EP

2012-01-12T18:22:00.000-06:00

Joseph Reisigl at The Red and Black, the University of Georgia's student newspaper, had some really nice things to say about the new You're Not Alone EP, out on February 3!

Thanks, Joseph!

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Almost there...

2012-01-07T22:42:00.003-06:00

We mailed out the You're Not Alone EP to about 250 journalists this week. :) The band signed every letter by hand.

Public release is February 3.

Upping the ante

2011-12-04T22:23:00.001-06:00

I have had a bit of writers' block since we finished tracking what will become the You're Not Alone EP and Under Summer Stars (our next full-length). I just wasn't sure where to go next! I had written one keeper tune and a few duds as of November, which is not a lot for four months.

But last week, I had a bit of an epiphany. While reading Sputnik Sweetheart by Haruki Murakami, it occurred to me that I had a wealth of untapped material sitting at the ready: my 12-year relationship with my wife!

We've had a ton of great experiences: some downright magical, and some comical, but all particular. I really don't know why I haven't used many of them yet. Maybe I was waiting for my skills to grow. In any case, out at dinner that night, I took a napkin and sketched out 11 song titles comprising the events from our relationship that seemed most song-worthy, in chronological order.

So for the first time, I'm approaching the next record with an overall plan - a concept! And also for the first time, I'm writing lyrics first, which is a big change for me. I've historically been a mood, then chords and melody kind of guy. Lyrics always came last. So this new approach is very disruptive and is affecting the results. What's also great about having a concept is I can arrange the entire album as an album, since I know what's coming and in what order!

This is all very top-down and strategic, and I'm still not sure it'll work. Watch this space. ;)

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We're not dead yet!

2011-10-24T15:35:00.000-05:00

:)

I've been slow on the blog, but much is afoot! We are mixing a new EP for winter release, and a full-length for the spring. We're in discussions with our director, Zac Eubank, about a new music video!

We are also playing shows regularly in Kansas City and surrounds, though we'll be taking a bit of a break in December and January.

Oh, a bit of procedural news. From now on, we will not be sending out email messages for our monthly gigs. That information can be found on our show calendar and on Facebook!

Instead, we will use our email newsletter only for major announcements (tours, new recordings, etc.!) We're just trying to keep it simple, and a lot of our email list is out of town folks.

Anyway, hope you're well. Happy fall!

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Album 4: day 10

2011-08-11T15:09:00.001-05:00

I am still writing from my phone, because the computer represents a return to the world of the day job, bills and headlines. I dropped steve off at the airport this morning and have spent the day lounging around in various stages of unclothedness watching music documentaries and eating raj mah.

We did it! Yesterday we wrapped up the last of the vocals for under summer stars, what we'd do and the new version of I'm just trying to help me like you that camry sings. We also completed the few remaining guitar dubs and daniel used my son's floor tom to add pseudo-timpani to I guess I'll never know and played turbo shaker on you're the reason why!

We finished around 9 and camry, steve and I went out for a celebratory meal. Then steve and I returned to the studio to load out, make backups of all the files and most importantly, to mess around playing back the tracks! Now the ball is in steve's court as we move on to the mix.

This has been the best recording experience of my life, and i'm tremendously excited about the new tunes. The band played beautifully and the vocal takes are full of heart. Expect an ep in february and the full length in april!

Many people deserve thanks at this stage in the project, but I'll save that for the liner notes. :) rest assured that I'm keeping a list. I am an excellent project manager after all. :)

And with that, it's time for a walk. Seize the day, friends!

Album 4: day 9

2011-08-09T23:30:00.001-05:00

Hah! I blog about the day on the day. Deal with it!

It's funny. I thought 5 days was more then we needed. The critical miscalculation was forgetting that camry sings on these songs almost as much as I do. In effect, instead of having thirteen songs to sing, we have twenty three. Apparently I am more of a lead vocalist than project manager after all!

Today was hard work but gratifying as always. We sang vocals on you're the reason why, did some guitar overdubs and then moved on to vocals for the two completely different versions of you're not alone. The electric version was sung in the usual fashion: lead followed by backing. But for the acoustic version, camry and I went old school and sang together into one mic! I have to say that it was probably the highlight of the session for me. Singing in the middle of the room with my bandmate through a lush, perfectly balanced mic (I stood behind camry's shoulder because I am a bit louder :) conjured memories of evenings at prospero's books. We locked in almost perfectly right away. It was like an arrival: the end of a two year journey of countless nights spent singing and relentlessly working things out. It was kind of magic.

We did some other fun things, like a mini guitar loop interlude that conjures a bit of sleight of hand. And lunch at fud was hard to beat, even with dinner at thai place! And tomorrow daniel will use my son's floor tom like a timpani. :)

But for now, time to sleep. Wish us luck on our last day! There are three songs left to sing, and we will do our best. It's what we do!

Album 4: day 8

2011-08-09T14:05:00.001-05:00

So I'm writing this halfway through day 9, which is making it a bit difficult to reconstruct the exact chronology. But despite the sage advice of homer simpson, I will try!

I know for sure that I sang the lead vocal for you don't exist. Camry assures me that we also sang both sets of vocals for monica. I trust camry implicitly, as should you.

I also recall doing some acoustic harmonic capo mumbo jumbo in all surface, as well as retracking the main electric guitar part.

Camry also predominantly triumphed over all surface, a song that we love dearly but if you see it walking around maybe you should tell it that it is being a bit... needy, maybe? Camry will most likely finish the job today.

But the jewel on the sprinkles on the root beer float of the day had to be russell thorpe's sax playing on monica. Dude threw down like donkey kong. Four times. With your mom!

And with that I will finish my lunch, dear reader, which is as lovely and succulent as thou art.

Album 4: day 7

2011-08-08T10:38:00.001-05:00

Another mobile update! Steve is using my computer to write some stuff on horror movie sound design for the experience music project. :) yesterday was another highly productive run.

We spent most of the day piling on a sequence of somewhat absurd and entirely awesome overdubs on love doesn't get old, a song that apparently I have never been able to sing. After a few hours of battle with the lead vocal, camry sailed in on a cloud of nonplus and summarily dispatched the backing vocals. At this time, realizing that I am more of a project manager than lead vocalist, I retreated to the depths of my reverb tank and unleashed some tasty licks on all surface redux.

The night concluded with me accidentally destroying the electrical system in my wife's car. For an encore, mike (new bass player) and I visited an oft far away and slightly beyond tipsy friend and her friends in mission and discussed the technical definitions of various human sex acts whilst camry and steve continued to exceed expectations.

This morning it has been oatmeal and tea and be/non for steve and I. Soon we shall sally forth into this wild world of auto parts and indie pop! We at the sexy accident salute you.

Album 4: day 6

2011-08-07T08:09:00.001-05:00

I have decided not to use facebook or any other social network for the duration of these sessions, just cuz a break from the stream is wonderful!

I am writing from my mobile phone, so this post will be short. Yesterday was a lot of fun. Camry revealed her ultimate preparedness. Together we clobbered the overdubs and vocals for welcome home, I guess I'll never know and sauvignon blanc!

We are back at it this morning and I will post later!

Album 4: Day 5

2011-07-11T14:06:00.004-05:00

Technically, it's the morning after, but Steve and I joined Will Leathem of Prospero's fame for some late night beer last night (after he got a sneak peek at the new sounds!), so I didn't have a chance to nerd it out. :)

We are done with basics. For the uninitiated, basics (at least as we define them) are more or less the band playing as it does live - bass, guitar, drums and keyboards. We tracked as an ensemble until we got the right take, with a great performance and just the right feel throughout. Then we made minor corrections and moved on to the next song! In all, we did this for fourteen tunes in five days and we are thrilled with the feel of the performances and sounds. Truly compelling stuff.

In terms of new trackage, we only worked on one number yesterday, an acoustic rendition of You're Not Alone featuring trumpets (from Mark Hamblin), acoustic guitar, mellotron and assorted light percussion. This isn't just a new mix - it's an entirely different performance of the song. It's even in a different key! It came out sounding lovely and I can't wait to show it to you. :)

The rest of the day was spent bouncing rough mixes of all the songs, backing up files and getting the structure right on a new, Optigan-based version of I'm Just Trying To Help (Me Like You) from Mantoloking.

In all this was a wonderfully productive and enjoyable experience. And Kansas City band peeps, I strongly suggest checking out Westend if you haven't already. It's a great studio in top shape and nothing compares to tracking to tape! And to top it off, at Westend you don't have to buy the reels! Mike's setup allows re-use of a stock of tape via really high-end dolby noise reduction (Dolby SR) from the waning days of analog recording. This saves you oodles of money.

And with that, it's time to get back to focusing on the kids and the day job. Happy monday! :)

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Album 4: Day 4

2011-07-09T23:14:00.005-05:00

I can't believe we're almost done with our July sessions already...

I am having so much fun with this record. I will confess that previous projects have been far more uncomfortable. When we tracked Mantoloking, I was in the middle of a job change, and I was tremendously intimidated by the magnitude of the whole thing: working with Steve Fisk, arranging a session that involved serious dough and airfare, etc. Before that, tracking, mixing and sequencing Kinda Like Fireworks in 40 HOURS in the near presence of Steve Albini wasn't an afternoon swim, either! :)

Don't get me wrong. It's not entirely old hat, now. I don't take success for granted and I give it my all in every respect. But I'm worrying less and just really enjoying myself. Daniel seems to be in a similar place. For Camry, it's still so new. She clearly doesn't want to drop the ball (and she isn't.) And for Mark, this is a diversion of sorts. A temporary, limited engagement that he's taking seriously but enjoying as a change of pace. A new experience. But to sum it up, the point is that I'm having fun. And it's really groovy to be doing that while creating the biggest bunch of art I've initiated yet!

We finished the last of the band tracks today! I am backing up files as we speak (for the songs we have already transferred from tape.) We took out, in order of appearance, 1) Monica, 2) You're Not Alone, 3) Ninja Ninja Fight Darth Vader and 4) All Surface (Redux)

The hight point for me was undoubtedly Ninja Ninja Fight Darth Vader, the first Sexy Accident song written by somebody other than me! The author, of course, is Tobias, my 5-year old son. :) He dropped by the studio with his mom and his brother Jonas, and the band hastily put together the sounds we needed and made some last minute "structural" decisions. When all was (loosely) arranged, we ripped through two takes as a band while toby sang along live. The keeper take was number 2, and it's a gem. I'm just so thrilled to have a song sung and written by my son on this record! And I think he had fun, too. :)

We are solidly on schedule and resume tomorrow morning. It'll be a day of very rough mixes (for vocal practice), a little tracking, and tape transfers into Pro Tools for the songs we tracked today. Then the project goes on pause until August, when we reconvene for a second 5-day run of vocals and overdubs.

Thanks for reading along. More tomorrow! I can honestly say that this record is clearly a big leap forward from Mantoloking, and we can't wait to share it with you! Enjoy your weekend! :)

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Album 4: Day 3

2011-07-08T22:33:00.004-05:00

And the hits keep coming! Another whirlwind of a day. I'm totally pooped but ima gonna write this here note anyway.

The shape of the day was dictated by Mark's gig at Zona Rosa with his funk band, Multiphonic. We were going to lose him in the afternoon, so we started at 9am. We smacked out basics for two songs (I Guess I'll Never Know and You Don't Exist) before taking a lovely lunch break at Cupini's, during which Mark and I shared a dainty little plate of artichoke salad with extreme masculinity.

I Guess I'll Never Know featured my most elaborate guitar tone ever, leveraging my telecaster Bass VI, two amps, an A-B switch, an outboard spring reverb unit, built-in tremolo and reverb in the other amp, the electro-harmonix POG, a Line 6 delay and my 1970s ROSS flanger. This combination sounds awful in concept but I promise it is quite luscious in execution. For serious!

I must also mention that Steve's drum sounds on this record are phenomenally good and widely varied. He's doing some really unorthodox things with mic placement and each track has its own truly distinct take on the same kit (albeit with snare drum swaps, rods vs. brushes vs. sticks, etc.), producing results that range from the immense to the intimate. I should also mention that in addition to his producerly gifts, Steve is available for birthday parties!

After lunch, Mike Miller (head honcho at West End) regaled us with stories of The Road To OzFest, circa early oughts. Then we put the smack down on another tune, called Welcome Home, which our over-achieving rhythm section flat out aced on the first go. I did a bit of guitar clean-up and we called it good, and Camry helped out by manually operating my vibrato pedal!

Around 4, Mark took off for his gig and we released Daniel to visit Cindy in lieu of their traditional Saturday-morning breakfast (thanks for being flexible, Cindy!) while Steve, Mike and I transferred the first eight songs from tape to Pro Tools. Then Camry, Steve and I walked to Westport for the food truck festival! I had a lovely vegetarian meatball sub and a bean and portabello burrito. Steve enjoyed his second go at Boulevard beer.

Finally, we walked back to West End and Steve and Camry worked on keyboard overdubs while I ran home to put Toby to bed and spend an hour with Steph. I checked in at the studio again around 10 (over 12 hours since we started), locked the place up and we called it a night!

So yeah! Basics done for 8 songs in three days, with both serious tone sculpting and live, band-playing-as-a-band mojo. We're back at it in the morn, bright and early! :)

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Album 4: Day 2

2011-07-07T22:31:00.002-05:00

Today was our first real day of tracking. And what a day it was! By the time the sun set we had completed basics for four songs, sometimes on the first or second take! We covered, in order: 1) You're The Reason Why, 2) Sauvignon Blanc, 3) Under Summer Stars, and 4) Love Doesn't Get Old.

Steve is both direct/efficient and meticulous in his approach. He's already whipped out some pretty fab mic tricks on the drums and his way of capturing guitar (and distorted marimba) sounds is both simple and very robust. And he is a master of encouraging bands to be exactly who they are. But his shining moment for today had to have been the manual LFO moves on the tape machine. But I'm giving away our secrets. Shh... :)

Recording to tape is hella fun. I can't express how nice (and focusing) it is to have NO COMPUTER MONITOR staring you in the face. This marks my fourth major project on tape and the third Sexy Accident release approached this way. For those considering it, I have one word of advice: prepare. Everything with tape is both more luscious and also more difficult. You can ruin a take with a bad punch-in! So the bottom line is to work in big chunks and ideally, whole performances. The best side effect of working this way is it forces you to be a better musician! And isn't that the point of it all?

So far our MVP trophies have to go to Daniel and Mark. The Sexy Accident's rhythm section is a force to behold. And Mark has downright mastered the art of using a bass whose E and G strings can't be trusted! :) Of course, it's nice that we have a nice P-Bass when the parts won't cooperate with the limits of Mark's dad's ornery (but absolutely toneful and mojo-laden Thunderbird.)

Finally, I'd like to give a shout out to Mike Miller and West End Recording, where we are making this record (and where we tracked our last EP.) The studio is solid as a rock. It's simply my favorite place to record in KC. Thanks also to my wonderful wife for not only supporting me in these financially improbable musical boondoggles, but also for feeding the band amazingly tasty home-cooked indian food. :)

Back at it tomorrow. Goodnight!

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Album 4: Day 1

2011-07-06T22:49:00.002-05:00

I am time boxing this post to 10 minutes because I need to unwind and get to sleep!

Got Steve from the airport last night and had a lovely dinner out with Steph (my wife), Daniel and Cindy (Daniel's girlfriend) and Steve hisself. Then I got Steve to his hotel and we called it a night!

This morning we started at 10am and ended at 9:50pm. Almost 12hrs of work with minimal breakage. Most of the day was spent getting the studio up and running (Steve picked and placed mics, got the tape machine running, etc.) and dialing in sounds. By the time we got rolling it was about 7pm.

We started with What We'd Do, which most of the band burned through with ease. I, however, was struggling with the fineries of my wah pedal and the somewhat touch-sensitive solo in the bridge. As a result, we ended up doing four takes. But the joke's on the rtythm section because they kept getting better and better with every take! I should screw up more often. The last take was fantastic with a sexy and confident groove.

We ended the night by (perhaps foolishly) pushing on and dialing in the tones for tomorrow's first number: You're The Reason Why. So now we're all sleepy!

Back at it in the morn. I hope to also see my kiddos! :)

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Summer summer summer

2011-06-06T16:47:00.005-05:00

It's like a merry go round. (I've been listening to The Cars. :) So should you!

We are very busy writing, arranging and rehearsing for the new record! And also playing shows and auditioning for a permanent bass player (our dear, reliable friend Mark Hamblin can only rock with us for so long before he turns into a pumpkin :) If you know somebody who can rock the low end, send them our way!

That is all. For those who like spreadsheets, there is also this.

Want more frequent stuffs? Become a fan on Facebook! :)

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The Pitch on our cunning plan

2011-04-11T10:38:00.002-05:00

Elke Mermis of The Pitch took the time to ask us some questions about our amazing plan to get you into the studio while we record our next record!

The studio dates are set for early July. Steve Fisk is confirmed. If you want in on the action, the deadline is July 1!

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Make a record with us!

2011-03-01T07:44:00.005-06:00

The Sexy Accident is making a new record this summer in Kansas City, MO with producer Steve Fisk.

Throw down some loot and you can be part of the process!

Options range from the all-access El Niño / La Niña package (including unlimited visits to the studio and our preparatory band practices) to the bare-bones Shuriken. Check it out!

March Live Performances

On Thursday, March 10th at 9pm, we rock The Living Room in Kansas City (1818 McGee) as part of Cody Wyoming's new local music showcase. The show will be all Sexy Accident, all the time. :)

We'll be playing some brand new tunes, as well as a selection of stalwarts from our back catalog. Though mostly electric, this will be an intimate set. The Living Room is pretty loungey and fab, featuring an assortment of slouchy, plush seating and frosty beverages. You should come!

Only three weeks to Spring!

- The Sexy Accident

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Happy intergalactic new year

2011-01-19T14:16:00.006-06:00

Welcome to the year 3492

Frankly, the passage of time bores the Sexy Accident. Therefore, we have become "non-linear."

However, since "time" interests you puny humans, we will use your quaint chronological conventions to convey the time and space (relative to YOU, anyway) where we will manifest and bring our intergalactic rockn'roll.

"January" Live Performances

First, we will coalesce at swank, plush recreational entertainment lounge-space "The Living Room" (1818 McGee) on Thursday, January 20 for a hybridized acoustic and electric sonic probulation event in worship of Cody Wyoming. The show will begin when entities Camry & Jesse materialize to exhibit melodious synchronized vocal movements. Later, a more explosive sound will ensue when additional entities take the stage, forming what you earthlings call "a band." The event will begin (for YOU), at 9pm. For us, the event has already taken place.

After discarding the husks of our inessential companions following a bizarre mating ritual that resembles what you would call "belly dancing," but with axes, entities Camry & Jesse (now merged into one entity called Beelzeblotz) will manifest two additional times, first at Press in Crosstown Station (1522 McGee) on Wednesday, January 26 at 7pm. Again, synchronized vocal movements will be observed. Again, you will feel our wrath.

As if that weren't enough, you will all perish in firey atomic death when Camry & Jesse materialize at alcohol depot Coda (1744 Broadway) at 9pm on Friday, January 28th. If the Illudium death device fails to activate due to an unanticipated rift in spacetime, then you will be entertained again by synchronized vocal movements.

Your very existence offends us

- The Sexy Accident

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'Tis the season to help others!

2010-12-13T15:12:00.006-06:00

From now through Christmas Eve, The Sexy Accident will give all revenue (not just profits - all of the money!) from the sale of our T-Shirts to Kansas City nonprofit Operation Breakthrough.

Why Operation Breakthrough? Christmas is about kids, and Operation Breakthrough gives gifts that are way more important than toys and candy canes. Some of the many services they provide to poor children and adolescents include: before and after school care, dental care, immunizations, speech therapy, literacy programs, GED counseling and homelessness prevention.

So if you're pining for a super-comfortable, incredibly fashionable, often 100% USA made T-Shirt from your favorite Kansas City pop band, AND you want to do the right thing for the less fortunate at the same time, head on over to our merch page and pick up some shirts. It's the right thing to do and a tasty way to do it (like Oatmeal and Wilfred Brimley.)

This promotion is lmited to our current stock. We'll post if we sell out, though it's not likely to happen. :) We just restocked!

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A Merry Christmas To You

2010-12-01T16:40:00.007-06:00

New Christmas Single

Just in time for the holidays, The Sexy Accident announces the release of a new, third version of A Merry Christmas To You!

A Merry Christmas To You appeared in its original form on 2009's Mantoloking, and was quickly followed by a cavernous, urban paranoiac remix within the same year.

In the first two versions of the song, we reversed the sexes of the characters. Now, since no sex or sexuality has a monopoly on disappointment, obsession, delusion or insensitivity, all three characters are played by women. The lead role is now sung by our own Camry Ivory, and singer-songwriter Nadia Piotrowsky plays the object of the narrator's unrequited affections.

All three versions of the song were produced and mixed by legendary Seattle producer Steve Fisk (Nirvana, Soundgarden, Unwound, Pigeonhed, etc.) and the 2010 version features additional production by Chuck Whittington of Kansas City's namelessnumberheadman!

So what are you waiting for? Check it out!

December Live Performances

There will be two opportunities to catch Jesse & Camry playing quiet, intimate, acoustic renditions of SXA classics this month - and both are on Saturday, December 11th.

At 3pm, Jesse & Camry hit the legendary Jardine's on the plaza with Elaine McMilian and Dollar Fox for an acoustic holiday show. This will be a short set of 3-4 songs.

At 10pm, the party moves over to Prospero's Books on 39th and becomes a holiday benefit concert for Operation Breakthrough, featuring Enrique Chi of Making Movies playing solo acoustic! Camry will bring cookies, and we'll play a full acoustic set. All proceeds will go to Operation Breakthrough. $5 suggested donation.

That's it!

We hope you enjoy the tunes, and that you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

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Camry & Jesse on KKFI (Free MP3s)

2010-11-11T14:04:00.004-06:00

For those who missed our live performance on Mark Manning's Local ShowCase on KKFI last week, here's the complete set of tracks!

As you can see, there's a good mix of songs and well-hosted chitchat. :) We thoroughly enjoyed playing on the air. Thanks for having us, Mark!

If you appreciate shows like this, you should also consider donating to KKFI. :)

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Music Video! (Savage Love)

2010-11-01T21:21:00.001-05:00

The Sexy Accident is pleased to unveil our new music video for Savage Love (from the free EP Now That She's Gone) by Kansas City filmmaker Zac Eubank!

The bulk of the video was shot in one continuous take and stars Sam Eubank, Mary Schlicht and, of course, The Sexy Accident!

This rambunctious bundle of cinematic joy was made possible through the generosity of many of KC's finest, including choreographer Steven Eubank (of no relation to Zac and Sam), set builder Jay Slums, Wheat Photography, Scott Fitness, Vintage Vogue clothing and a small army of volunteers who danced, held props, flipped lights and threw popcorn - all for nothing but the joy of the art and the experience.

We hope you enjoy the video! You can download Savage Love (the song) for free, too. :)

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