Mookie Brando

June, 2013 photo session. After almost two years of this...

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 07:53:23 +0200

June, 2013 photo session. After almost two years of this formation being together, we finally have some pictures. These are by Júlia Csikós, and a boatload of others are coming via Zoltán Csipke.

Record Review: Zöldhullám, "Éjszakai műszak"

Tue, 07 May 2013 16:16:00 +0200

Pushing alt.country music in this town can be a hard sell. Luckily for us, Zöldhullám is providing it for almost free. And in Hungarian, to boot.

It’s been my impression for many years now that bands in Budapest are distinctly European. By that I mean that they are musically distant from America. There seems to be no lack of Anglo-Scandinavian metal, Brit-Pop-alternative bands, or Euro-funky groups. This is all fine and dandy, but for my taste, I long for music from the good old USA (and Canada, eh). This entails an aesthetic that emphasizes feel over technique, straightforward beats, an understanding of “less is more” and a foot in new world musical traditions like country, blues, gospel, etc.

Zöldhullám (which translates as “greenwave”, which is what happens when all the traffic lights on your drive are green) is one of those local acts that is inspired by America. They sing in Hungarian, but you could easily imagine them playing shows to satisfied audiences most anywhere west of New York City. In this sense they are carriers of the 70s and 80s tradition established by bands like Fonográf and Bojtorján.

This week saw the band release their first album, “Éjszakai műszak” (night shift). Recorded essentially live over one weekend, the album’s seven studio tracks reflect the partnership and tension that make the band work so well live. Csaba Mester’s loose and emotional writing and lead vocals are countered by multi-instrumentalist Lóránt Kégl’s sense of precision and attention to detail. Mester’s singing has an easy and emotive groove to it in the vein of Bob Dylan and Tom Petty. Hearing a voice like his is proof that the Hungarian language can translate smoothly into American music. Those listeners who do not speak Hungarian are missing out on Mester’s fine lyrics, which often use scenic imagery to evoke emotional landscapes.

The musicianship on the album (with Töpi on lead guitar, Ferenc Sziklay-Pap on bass, Gábor Katona on drums, and guests András Fábián (lap steel) and Tamás Bátori (tenor sax)) is top notch. The fact that this band has been playing regularly for years now is apparent and a real benefit to this recording. The arrangements and engineering of the record are full-bodied, making use of all the band and Kégl’s piano, banjo and accordion. While some tricks that may work well on stage (e.g., the inclusion of the Day Tripper riff on the title track) seem unnecessary to the recording, the record comfortably covers a relatively wide range of soundscapes, with piano-driven tangos and rockabilly beats fitting in nicely with Blonde on Blonde styled highlight “Galyatető” and waltz “Vínervalcer”.

Clocking in at about 35 minutes (including a bonus live track), the band happily resisted the recent trend of 70+ minute albums. The songs chosen play to the band’s strengths, meaning there is no filler on the record. Whether this was an artistic or financial issue is irrelevant: we have here just over half an hour of American music finely filtered through the view from Budapest. Highly recommended.

The album is available for free download by clicking here. Cd copies will be available at Zöldhullám concerts or by contacting the band through their facebook page.

(Disclaimer: It should come as no surprise that Zöldhullám and MB&SC have had a years-long musical friendship and affinity. Regardless, I tried to write this review with the utmost objectivity.)

Guest post by Enikő Bona re: the horns

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 07:53:00 +0200

Since Cousin Frank was out of town the day of the horn section recording, I was promoted to be the deputy producer (a.k.a control freak) of last Tuesday’s session.

It’s been a week since then, but I can still feel the novelty of the situation. I was never really part of such a project before and I guess I can say that it was quite new for the americana genre as well. Tim, Lynn, Zsuka and I made a sound that is quite original for this kind of music. Meaning, you don’t normally hear a trumpet, a French horn, an alt saxophone and a flute playing backgrounds for a honky tonk boogie-woogie. Of course, this form wasn’t the plan, we just kind of collected all the horn players we know - however it is really cool that we managed to make this happen in such little time. Hereby I would like to thank them all for the cooperation and great help they’ve delivered!

I enjoyed the professionalism that everyone in the room was showing. Tim sent us the scores a couple of days in advance and then at the studio he took charge in seconds - everything was under control and I was so intimidated by how Zsuka and Lynn followed his lead. I, on the other hand, had no idea what was happening, having no experience at all in orchestra, or even chamber ensemble playing. But these guys have their own language and a higher level of knowledge of their instruments’ behaviour, scores, etc. This made the whole process very easy and confortable.

We started with “Oh Mercy, Mercy Me”, the came “Even Through the Tears” and “I Changed the Names of All the Streets”, and finally the only one that wasn’t a challenge for me, the above-mentioned tune with a honky tonk feel, “We Ain’t Going Nowhere” - in this one we only had to play two notes under the chorus. Then Tim played a cool solo and we were done. It is sad to see him leave again: he is going on a work cruise trip again to some shitty islands called the Caribbeans to play for a completely different audience than you guys. Maybe we should pay him the same wage and then he’d stay, right?

We stayed till almost midnight with Greg correcting our background vocals. In the end, we found a solution to all the problematic parts and I re-recorded a flute solo for “I Changed the Names of all the Streets”. It was a long day and Jonathan deserves a big thanks again for having us. As Zsigo said: if we are the second cousins, he is the godfather of all of us. I guess that’s appropriate. As far as I know we have only some piano, pedal steel and guest vocals to go, and we are done. Time to make room for it on your CD shelf.

Enikő “Enci” Bona

Record Review: Michael Kentish, "All the Promises"

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 10:04:00 +0200

Some things are worth the wait.

Through his stints in a number of local bands like the Tea Thieves, the Random Chocolates, Rebel Star, the Poosta Ramblers, the Vibe, Ponikló and others, Michael Kentish has become one of the best known talents in town. His expert bass playing, solid guitar style and expressive singing have made him an in-demand player for local musicians and a true crowd-pleaser to local audiences. Yesterday he released his long-awaited album “All the Promises” (available on Amazon).

Most of the songs on the record have been in circulation for a number of years, with Mike playing them regularly at solo and Random Chocolates gigs. This has allowed for the songs to be tried in various forms and then be carefully moulded into the versions that appear on the album. “Empty Heaven”, for example, was a Random Chocolates rock standard that is now presented with a light acoustic touch that allows the listener closer access to the emotional nuances of the song. This holds true for the entire album. The expertly crafted songs are presented in a style that is low-key but not without its exhilarating moments (several of which are provided by a virtuosic Jamie Howell on electric guitar). Notable guest contributions come from local stalwarts Jerome Li Thiao Te, Greg Zeigler, David Asztalos and Rachel Hammond Lambinon.

One of the most remarkable aspects of the record is the use that Mike and producer Pablo Campos (pabloslam) make of vocals. Mike has an airy voice that is reminiscent of Art Garfunkle or Nick Drake. He and Pablo treat his voice almost as one would have used an early synthesizer, by using harmony and layering to create a depth and range of vocal sounds. While this may leave some listeners wishing Mike had instead put together a chorus to achieve a Beach Boys or CSNY sound, the vocal arrangements tend to drive home the melodies and thus serve the songs well.

With the onslaught of home-recorded (sans engineers) albums and the recent tendency of listeners to consume music on less-than-hi-fi equipment, contemporary record makers have oft of late neglected to produce clean, exciting and challenging soundscapes. This cannot be said of “All the Promises”. The mp3 version I’ve been listening to on my home stereo has an audio richness that is nothing less than remarkable. The sound has a lustre and clarity that was a joy to listen to, with each listening revealing new layers and subtleties.

At the same time, there is no questioning Mike Kentish’ dedication to the craft of quality songwriting. While I don’t hear a weak song on the collection, standout tracks for me include opener “Treading Water”, barnburner “Victoria Amazonica” and wistful “Home Wherever”.

I’m glad that Mike Kentish took so long to release these songs. The care that went into their production was not something that should have been rushed. Well worth the wait. (Though hopefully I won’t have to wait as long for the next one.)

Album cover mockup. Hope you like it!

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 08:24:21 +0200

Album cover mockup. Hope you like it!

urbanfairypunk: rosettes: Mumford and Sons, the early...

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 05:23:12 +0100

urbanfairypunk:

rosettes:

Mumford and Sons, the early years.

Mookiebrando, lemezborító? :D

I like!

Recording "Lust, Longing, Redemption"

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 10:00:00 +0100

Fabulous scenes from the studio…

Last weekend, on one of the mornings of our whirlwind recording sessions weekend, I began to write a rather detailed account of our recording process and my entire philosophy of recording this time around and how much of what I envisioned was turning out to be right. Then the browser collapsed and I lost everything. Oh well.

We all managed to get to the studio (Studio 1.0) on Thursday evening, despite a massive snowstorm. Most everything was set up when we got there: we only needed to tweak things like choice of drum toms, guitar amp tones, etc. Jon and Zsolt set up the room so that we could do what I hoped and record all our playing live off the floor. So 4 tracks were dedicated to drums, while the other 4 were set for scratch lead vocal, guitar 1, guitar 2 and bass.

We recorded the (scratch) vocals into a Shure Beta58, which is the same mic I use live. Later I was convinced to do some additional vocals on a space-age setup of condenser mics. [A scratch vocal is a vocal recording you mean to discard later, when you record a cleaner one. It is meant mostly to keep everyone oriented during the recording process.]

We rehearsed and warmed up by playing some covers and then did a quick recording of one of the new songs. All systems go. Let’s go home and get some sleep. Two band members took a cab. I scientifically measured the time we needed to minimize the wait for a bus in the cold. I was only 20 minutes off, but Enci didn’t complain too much. The bus we finally got on broke down 10 minutes later, leaving us on the street.

At noon on Friday we reconvened. One band member showed up looking particularly hung over. No matter. Once we picked up our instruments and struck the first chords we were in our groove. We did 2-4 takes each of six songs. The mood - at least for those who were not hung over - was very positive. We were lucky to have collected a few extra guitars from friends (an Ephiphone Riviera, a Gibson Les Paul Studio, and a 72 Fender Stratocaster) and used some of Jon’s own equipment to make sure that we were getting varied and beautiful guitar tones. Afterwards, Jon joined us in the band for some well deserved dinner and beer.

On Saturday we started a bit later, almost at suppertime. My mood was not as good for some unknown reason. Still, we got another six songs on tape. Of the 12, I had rather good first impressions of 11. There is one where I think we played too darn fast. I’ll make a decision on it later.

Sunday saw us come in and begin overdubs. I sang on 10 songs again (2 quiet songs were such that I refused to redo the original take - all in the spirit of “as live as possible”). Marco did some incredible guitar overlays, Greg did a lovely harmony on one of the slow ones, and Enci played a good deal of flute. We hit a snag with recording other background vocals. I think I didn’t leave enough time for the preparation of those.

In any case, we’ve got some more background vocals, some horns, piano, pedal steel and some minor redo-s (vocals, guitars) to complete. Then we will mix. Then we hope we can afford mastering.

All in all a productive and fantastic experience. The boys at Studio 1.0 were great. It was good to feel that having shared a plan with them and the band, everyone was on the same page. The mood was good throughout, and I particularly enjoyed how all the folks involved kept encouraging one another.

Some random observations:

the cough-syrup-like pálinka was interesting
I owe Studio 1.0 a box of Kleenix
if you haven’t seen me in 20+ years you could mistake me for Zsolt
a comfy couch is a necessity in a good studio
the better prepared you are going into the recording process as a band, the better off you will be: we were very prepared
make each album as if it were your last
Marco is the fastest runner in the band: “by a mile”

I should be getting some rough mixes any time now, and I’m bursting with anticipation.

Lust, Longing and Redemption: tracklist

Sun, 03 Mar 2013 10:26:00 +0100

I don’t know how unusual my approach is. But for this record (and for the previous) I’ve worked out the song sequence long before pressing the ‘record’ button.

Those who’ve been following our live shows recently will easily recognize the tracklist for the Lust, Longing and Redemption album. We’ve been playing the album in its entirety and in sequence quite often of late. This approach has really helped the album as a whole settle into a natural groove and dynamic. And of course it should help immensely when we enter the studio in less than two weeks.

Lust, Longing and Redemption

an album by Mookie Brando and the Second Cousins

to be released in Spring, 2013

I Changed the Names of All the Streets
Too Proud to Cheat, Too Poor to Pay
Compensate
Dear Mr. President
Love is Everywhere
Do I Need an Invitation?
We Ain’t Going Nowhere
Oh Mercy Mercy Me
Precious Little One
Even Through the Tears
The Worrying Kind
Here I Am

10 years of Mookie Brando and the Second Cousins

Fri, 01 Mar 2013 10:00:00 +0100

Greg Spencer and I have been writing back and forth on this a bit. According to my calculations but acknowledging a foggy memory, March will mark the 10th anniversary of the first gig by Mookie Brando and the Second Cousins (it was at Pótkulcs). I’m not even sure we had the monicker yet at that point.

band sticker circa 2004-5, designed by Greg Spencer

As respected music historians have noted, the band formed out of regular Friday night music sessions in my apartment (and the Faurest apartment) in late 2002. When the group of musically oriented friends would run out of songs to play, I would begin to sneak in my own compositions. And before we knew it, we had enough for a full set or two. And thus The Second Cousins pecked their way out of the eggshell and onto the unsuspecting stages of Budapest.

In that 10 years I’ve seen a lot of great acts come and go on the ‘scene’. So it makes me especially proud that - despite many lineup changes - this band persists and continues to flourish. That in itself is a testament to all those who I’ve had the honour to call band mates. They are…

drums: Todd Schenk, Tony Lippold, Papa Glancz, Bence Nagy, Greg Zeigler

lead guitar: Beaux Jaxon, Béla Makó, Mátyás Csajági, Chris Parsons, Marco Randria

piano and organ: Zoltán Varga

bass: Greg Spencer, Tibor Malkovics, Mike Ketnish, Enikő Bona

vocals: Kristin Faurest, Rachel Hammond Lambinon

saxophone: Peti Herold

vionlin: Jerome Li Thiao Te

There are several musicians who have helped us out along the way, including Fiona Stewart, Áron Tanos, Gábor Bihari, András Fábián, Nate Johnson, Tim Reine, Dávid Bilics and countless others. And there are a good number of folks who have helped me with recordings.

Thanks to everyone involved in fueling the longevity of Mookie Brando and the Second Cousins. I hope to continue doing this for a long time to come.

p.s.: March will also mark the 20th anniversary of the beginning of my existence as a songwriter and guitarist. You’d think I’d have learned to play the damned instrument in that much time.

2003. Zoli, Bob, me, Greg, Todd, Kristin

2005? Greg, me, Zoli, Todd

2006 or 2007. Me, Tony, Zoli, Tibike

2008 or 2009. Tibi, Papa, me, Matyi

2010. Peti, Tibi, me, Rachel, Chris, Bence

2010. Jerome, Chris, Bence, me, Mike

2012. Me, Enci, Greg, Marco

On Fundraising and Benefactors

Wed, 20 Feb 2013 11:46:00 +0100

As our fundraising campaign winds down, I want to express our deepest thanks to our many benefactors…

When it looked like the only thing stopping us from recording the new “Lust, Longing and Redemption” album was a money shortage, we did something we had never really done before. We begged.

That is to say, we started fundraising. A few people recommended we try kickstarter and such. I thought about it, but decided against it. We don’t have a fan base that stretches much beyond our own spheres of friends. So I thought we’d give it a go the old-fashioned way: through our buds themselves. I put out at least a dozen messages over our usual net platforms, announcing to the world that we were ready to make a record and needed not investors, but patrons. I also tried to lay guilt trips on a few friends personally.

I was hoping we could raise about 50-60% of the studio costs. I figured I could somehow cover the rest on my own. (Given the amount of time the band members voluntarily put into this project, I never entertained the thought of having them participate in funding the record.) What a joy it is to be able to announce that we have to date collected just over 100% of the studio costs, and that if we collect all the pledges, we should be able to cover mastering and ensuing expenses (e.g., taxis, coffee, pizza).

So thank you to all our contributing supporters. You have no idea how much we appreciate your faith in us. We owe you a first-rate record, and we will deliver it in the late spring.

On a related note: I hate Amway and Avon and all those businesses that try and sneak into your friendships and try and squeeze a profit out of you. I hope I wasn’t duplicitous or too pushy during our campaign. And like we promised, the backers will be getting special edition cd-s and some will get house concerts as an expression of our gratitude.

When we print a few copies of the record we’ll list our patrons in the liner notes. For now I’ll just acknowledge you all with your initials. Many thanks to: M.H., S.D., V.A., P.H., K.A., D.C., J.G., R.J., J.M., C.P.

It’s not too late to chip in. We could use some new strings. Just kidding. Well, actually, I’m not kidding.

Photo

Wed, 06 Feb 2013 12:26:45 +0100

Reflections on the Kuplung gig of January 24th

Fri, 01 Feb 2013 17:38:00 +0100

I just wanted to write a bit about our fab gig at Kuplung, mostly to acknowledge the help and support we received there.

The gig was a bit of a tryout for us. Greg was the key player in setting up this show (thanks, man!). I’d played there in 2006, when the stage was in a separate room (didn’t really like it and much prefer the new layout). Now the stage faces the grand hall of the club, which is a bit like a hangar. It’s a great space with room for plenty, and the management and technicians put a great deal of care into building a quality sound system. The back of stage was filled with mic stands and cables and goodies, making things that much easier for us, the performing musicians.

The Kuplung stage is quite massive, at least for us. We had to move Greg up front a couple of meters: I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to see him. All in all we could hear ourselves quite well during the show (which happens less often than you might think). We’re more accustomed to cramming onto a stage, so this was nice and luxurious.

I really don’t know how many people saw the show. The amazing Mike Kentish (you must like his page and listen to his music… trust me) and I spoke today, and he gave me some pointers on the show. To be honest, I didn’t see him in the audience! Sorry, Mike. Mr. D.B. estimated that about 130 came and went during the show. The place was by no means packed, so even though I’m told it was one of our bigger recent audiences, my feeling was one of modest disappointment, seeing so many open spaces. That made for a slight feeling of disconnect for me, although we did have a few people come up and dance, which was great (how could one not dance to the rhythm section of Greg and Enci?) No matter, we did what we were supposed to do, which was play our hearts out. And we did.

I want to express my gratitude to some newish folks who helped a great deal. First, the sound guys Szifu and his colleague (Ádám?) were professional and helpful throughout. It was a challenge for them to do sound in a big chamber like Kuplung. The reviews on the front sound were mixed: some folks thought it was perfect while others claimed it didn’t come across as balanced. A friend walked through the entire venue during the show and pointed out to me which spots were the best for audio clarity.

I’d also like to thank the young Mr. Daniel Besenyői, who is a student of the guitar and a new friend. I asked whether he’d be interested in being a guitar tech for one evening, and he kindly agreed. He kept the axes in tune and helped me change guitars between songs. That was a real luxury. I usually play one guitar for the whole show. This time, thanks to Dani, I was able to pick and choose, which I believe made for a better experience. I should add that Dani even arranged for guitar transportation (köszi, Juli!).

The band once again played a huge marathon of a show, with only one cover song (“To Love Somebody”, which we played for an encore). Jerome joined us on violin again to close out the concert. Enci’s flute playing received rave reviews too. Greg was his usual fabulous self, and Marco was especially impressive given that he sang backup this time (he tends to be the odd man out if we are short on microphones). I could feel my voice was a bit tired, but I slugged it out to the finish. So once again, thanks to all who came to help and to enjoy the evening.

In other news, we have a new management assistant, so I’ll be pushing her to get us better and better gigs, which hopefully is good news for friends and fans of the band.

I’ll blog about our fundraising campaign shortly. Ciao!

Reflections on the Gondozó Gig on Jan 12

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 09:39:13 +0100

When a band is going well, then every so often you have the pleasure of hearing people say “that was your best show yet”. A band must be going incredibly well when you hear that kind of sentiment several shows in a row.

flyer by Júlia Csikós

It’s been that kind of run recently for me and the Second Cousins. Our show last Saturday (January 12) at Gondozó was one for the ages. The band played very well, which I’m used to at this point. But what really stood out for me was the remarkable sense of camaraderie and sheer joy on stage. We usually have that, but on Saturday it felt particularly pronounced. I suppose that’s the result of having good musicians and good people around. But it’s also a product of the hard work Enci, Marco and Greg have been putting into the band. Thanks, guys. It is a joy to play music with you!*

Greg and Marco (with help from Jerome and Enci) opened up the evening with a smattering of Greg’s fabulous originals (I really want him to make a full record) and a couple of covers. Greg debuted his shiny tiny new ukulele, and it sounded great.

The gig was fabulous for a few other reasons too. Jerome Li Thiao Te — after a considerable absence — joined us on stage for the last stretch of the show. He and Marco shared soloing duties on the extended bridge of Shine a Light, and it was something to behold.

The evening saw us premiere two songs — one very old and one very new. Love is Everywhere is a song I wrote in 1996 as a bit of a hippie thing. It just seemed to fit the “Lust, Longing and Redemption” mood, so I plan to include it on the record. We also played a brand new one called Oh Mercy Mercy Me, which is sort of a lovechild of Marvin Gaye and Bob Dylan. Greg played uke on it and it had a great intimate feel.

My mentor and hero Beaux Jaxon made sure we sounded our best on our limited but trustworthy equipment.

It was a thrill to see so many beautiful faces in the audience, which was rather large. Greg and Enci had a number of people dancing away; a few people were singing right along to songs I don’t think they were terribly familiar with; and it seemed to me a merry time was had by all. The folks at Gondozó were gracious hosts as always.

Hey, we didn’t play any covers. For a set of 29 songs (which is almost three hours of music), I don’t think that’s ever happened before. Time to teach the band a new record’s worth of original material?

We mixed and spread songs from the three MB records all around the set (for the last several shows we did “Lust, Longing and Redemption” songs as a bloc).

*I wanted to share something Marco and I were talking about last week or so. I’ve been in a handful of bands over the years. But to be in a band where the musicians have dedicated so much effort to playing my songs… it’s incredibly flattering and humbling. (They are certainly not in it for the money!)

Here is what we played…

I’ve Changed the Names of All the Streets
Best I Can
Make That Bet
Too Proud to Cheat Too Poor to Pay
All Boxed In
You Are My Blessing
Angel Tonight
Had Enough
Compensate
Do I Need an Invitation?
Been in Arrears
Love is Everywhere
Come to Me
Shakin’ in the Middle of the Night
This Temptation
Missionary Zeal
Angelina
Dear Mr. President
There Are Days
We Ain’t Going Nowhere
Precious Little One
Oh Mercy, Mercy Me
The Worrying Kind
Shine a Light
Want it Back
Here I Am
Even Through the Tears
Mr. Cliché
Love, Truth and Other Myths

"Tennessee Waltz" singer Patti Page passes away

Thu, 03 Jan 2013 08:36:41 +0100

The first time I remember hearing “The Tennessee Waltz”, it was not Patti Page singing but Patsy Cline. In any event, it is haunting and simple and shows the kind of beauty that country music has to offer us. I’ve been hooked on this song ever since. I’ve had the good fortune of singing it with Sugar Rae Hammond and Fiona Stewart, and today, despite my sore throat, I’m going to sing it myself.

2012 in review

Thu, 27 Dec 2012 17:49:00 +0100

Well, that’s just about it for another year in our corner of the musical universe. I usually like to write a few words of reflection in the last week of the calendar year. It’s a nice way to set up goals and plans for the next twelve months. And all in all it’s been a very good year for me both as a “solo artist” and as a “member of the band”.

May, 2012 at Treehugger Dan’s. Photo by Lóránt Kégl.

In the spring we hooked up with a couple of acts we hadn’t known before. We played two shows opening for Belgian hipsters Follia. They are a great band with tons of instruments and tons of great attitude. Beaux Jaxon expertly filled in for Marco for the first show. Follia took us to Fészek Klub, where I had played once before, in 2004 or so. The manager liked us enough to ask that we play together with their regular Rolling Stones tribute band. I will certainly follow up on that. We also became friends with the band Creep, who were kind enough to ask us to share another bill with them. Good guys, good performers!

We continued our cooperation with fab magyar alt.country bohemians Zöldhullám, playing a gig with them in June. That show could not have been played were it not for the steady help of our old friend Dávid Bilics, filling in on bass. The show also featured a big hunk of András Fábián (of Védett Férfiak) helping out on guitar. We also had the honor of being joined by Vali Barnicskó on vocals for a roof-raising rendition of Gimme Shelter. Vali of course has moved on to national fame (and hopefully fortune).

After our summer break we began to realize that we could meet a demand for acoustic music in the city. That’s something we hadn’t done very often, but come to think of it, the first few times I saw Marco play, he was on acoustic guitar. Our acoustic show in November at Gondozó went so well, we were asked to return regularly (we’ve agreed). We ended off the year playing electric at good old Ellátó Kert, and with any luck we’ll manage to play there more often as well.

I miss playing at Treehugger Dan’s. Perhaps our best show of the year was there in May, when we played electric instruments at acoustic volume. I’d never done anything like it before. It felt amazing.

In July I did something I had not done in a long, long time. I played a show in Toronto. With a band. Fellow Poosta Rambler Fiona Stewart rounded up local stalwarts Chris Eaton, Donald Murray and Sean Dignan, and we simply jammed for a couple of hours for an audience made up mostly of old friends from my hometown. Wonderful.

There were a couple of shows that were Second Cousins—Poosta Ramblers hybrids, with me, Marco, Greg and Jerome. Particularly memorable was an afternoon outdoor session in the sweltering heat on Canada Day.

Three times this year we had a light show provided to us by the incomparable 11 year old Vajk Dobos. I’m hoping this is just the beginning of a long collaboration.

I think as a band, the Second Cousins have made great strides this year. This incarnation has always played well, but I think the tightness has gone up a notch, and the ability to try out some new things—even on the fly during a show—has heated us up a degree or two. I feel that musically, the band is ready to become a bit more experimental on stage. Tim Reine joined us for a couple of shows in the autumn. He is a great trumpet player and has brought an exciting new sound element. He’s out of town now, but I’m really looking forward to continuing with him. Enci is singing beautifully, her bass playing is solid, and she’s letting it fly on flute in the acoustic setting. Marco is Marco, his guitar playing always astounds me. And Greg… the man is a great drummer, a great vocalist, and adds a kind of character and charisma to the shows that is invaluable to me.

What was very exciting for me this year was the way I forced 10 new songs down the band’s collective throat. I’d finished writing a song cycle in about January of 2012 and wanted the band to learn it and run with it. I think we only had about two rehearsals before we debuted the cycle on stage. We’ve been playing the full cycle at almost every show since, and to me it keeps sounding better and better. The band doesn’t know that I’ve written one last song for the cycle, and will add an oldie (from the vaults). Knowing them, they’ll knock these 2 songs out cold in no time.

After a good deal of gestation and reflection, I decided to call the new song cycle “Lust, Longing and Redemption”. It may sound a bit like the last album name, but that’s not by design. The title is instead a reflection of the kinds of music that have been inspiring me during the writing and arranging and debuting of the material, namely rock, country and soul music. I intend to take the band into a custom-made studio in early 2013 and make a record. I’m already in the heavy planning stage. It may be a herculean task, but it’s something I really want to do.

In other musical projects, I had a lot of fun this year - as always - in the Poosta Ramblers. I guested with a host of old friends in Forever Young (originally Hungarian Harvesters), playing a few Neil Young classics. Also helped Fiona Stewart record some violin tracks, but not much recording output otherwise.

I discovered a boatload of new music this year, including the Alabama Shakes, Beirut (thanks to Timi Rácz), Jamey Johnson and Shovels and Rope. The Poster Boy is a group of Budapest guys who put out a wonderful debut record.

I realized I had been missing out for years in the Dwight Yoakam arena. Same goes for Sloan.

Old-time favourites Rush and Bob Dylan put out records that stand up to anything they’ve done in the past.

I tried to develop my guitar technique by learning chicken picking. Still needs work, but it’s good fun.

So, it looks like we’re headed for an exciting 2013. We’re deepening our reputation as a reliable and fun-loving live act, one that is professional and a joy for club managers to deal with. As such we look to be getting some great opportunities, and we will certainly make the most of them. Lust, Longing and Redemption should be recorded in the Spring, and I’m very very excited about the prospect of cutting a record live off the floor.

So in closing, I’d like to thank everyone who contributed to making 2012 such a fabulous musical year. Most of you are mentioned above, so if I left anyone out, I duly apologize. Thanks to everyone who has befriended and supported the band (that means YOU!). Happy new year and see you in 2013.

Gig @ Ellátó Kert

Sun, 23 Dec 2012 07:47:00 +0100

Wednesday was a doozy. It was our last official gig of the year. After a one-year absence, we returned to play at Ellátó Kert. We had some difficulties with the Poosta Ramblers show there in November, what with a cancelation and some sound and mojo issues. But I am happy to report that the show with the Second Cousins on December 19th was fabulous.

We took my PA equipment and our electric amps (Marco has a new one!) this time and used a relatively simple setup. We managed to fit on stage somehow and I felt relatively calm before we started up the show (one of my biggest impediments in performing live is getting too uptight before hitting the stage). We had a good stream of people flowing into the room, which was rather encouraging.

photo by András Fábián

The show started a bit tentatively. We opened with This Temptation, which is a barn-burner and ought to get the band going, but we only really hit our stride about 4-5 songs in. But once we hit it, we got it and we stayed there. The crowd kept getting bigger and more enthusiastic, Marco played up a storm, and Enci and Greg laid down some infectious rhythms. It felt very rock n’ roll, it felt fabulous. Apologies to Greg, whose microphone was switched on only well into the gig!

I was really happy to have reached a bit of a milestone this show. There have been times over the years where we played a huge portion of cover songs in our sets. This time we played only two. Cover songs are great of course, if you choose the right ones. They get the audience going, they are familiar and comfortable. But therein lies the problem. I want people at the shows to get excited about the original songs. I want them to look forward to my compositions and our band’s renditions of them more than any covers we would play. I think we’re getting there. Playing regularly is getting the audience increasingly familiar with our material and the more we play them, the more I know that these tunes are up to snuff. Maybe someday someone else will cover them.

I was somewhat concerned with our volume level, Ellátó Kert not being a usual rock venue, but we managed to hold the noise down to a grade that management was happy with. Julcsi invited a boatload of people, and Tito even advertised the gig on couchsurfing (see here), and I think that really helped. Thanks, guys. It was great to see several new faces, and it was great to see some friends who haven’t joined us at a show in a long time. Professor Csipke claimed that every time he sees me play I’ve got a new sound and a new band. Well, things are running smoothly now, so I think this lineup will be around a while. At least I hope so.

I should mention that this show entailed a great deal of schlepping shit around. I even had to drive there and back, so borrowing my uncle’s microvan was key. And I had no idea of the strength of my girlfriend. Her score on the PRI* just skyrocketed.

Thanks to Marcos and Feri and Judit and the Ellátó Kert gang for having us. We’ll do it again in late January. And don’t forget, we’ll be playing at Gondozó Kert on Saturday, January 12 (check it out). Merry Christmas, Folks!

This Temptation
All Boxed In
Angel Tonight
Make That Bet
Had Enough
Best I Can
Been in Arrears
Come to Me
Shine a Light
Want it Back
Shakin’ in the Middle of the Night
Love, Truth and Other Myths
Mr. Cliché
There Are Days
Angelina
I’ve Changed the Names of All the Streets
Too Proud to Cheat Too Poor to Pay
Compensate
Dear Mr. President
Do I Need an Invitation?
We Ain’t Going Nowhere
Precious Little One
Even Through the Tears
The Worrying Kind
Here I Am
Gloria (Them)
To Love Somebody (The Bee Gees)

* PRI = Prospective Roadie Index

Time to get serious, time to record

Sun, 16 Dec 2012 15:16:09 +0100

When you can’t take the band to the studio, have the studio come to the band…

Well well well. I love it when a plan comes together. About a year ago I more or less finished writing a new cycle of songs. The Second Cousins learned them by jumping into the fire: we started playing them live very soon after the band first heard them. It has paid off. After repeatedly listening to the bootleg of the tunes from our last show at Gondozó, I think we are ready to record.

Now this album is going to be a bit different. The last two cycles I recorded were done the new way. That is to say I used my laptop and a soundcard and a slew of friends and went track by track, layering and layering, until I felt the recording did the song justice. This time we’re going the old way, trying to get as much as we can recorded simultaneous and live. I’ve spent a good deal of time thinking about the approach and now I’ve started to put my ideas to paper. The band is playing with great feel, and the only way to catch that is to put us all in one space together, get us to play together, and not forget to press record. Basically, we’re going to build our own temporary recording studio.

So we’re going to need a nice big room. And a few days to spend in it, preferably rent free. And a talented sound engineer. And lots of coffee, adult beverages and food. Patience, we’ll likely need plenty of that. Equipment, we’ll need loads of it. So soon I’ll be getting on the horn and begging to borrow everything from mic stands to sound cards to chairs to curtains to you name it. Kind of makes the whole thing a community endeavor.

So if you have any of the above items, you know how to contact me :)

The album will be called Lust, Longing and Redemption, which is a reflection of the kinds of music that have inspired these songs (rock, country, soul). It appears that we’re in slightly higher demand these days as a live act, so we’ll have more opportunity to polish these tunes up on stage.

Here is a diagram of the studio approach, to date. I’m so looking forward to this. And btw, don’t forget to join us this Wednesday at Ellátó Kert. Details here.

I hate when shows are canceled.

Mon, 10 Dec 2012 08:13:43 +0100

Two weeks ago our Poosta Ramblers gig was cancelled on the day of the show due to fire department regulations. Luckily the venue was quick to reschedule us, and hell, they felt so bad that they even booked Mookie Brando and the Second Cousins. Check it out.

Last night I received word that our acoustic gig for December 15th was canceled. This was a gig that we had been invited to play and somewhat reluctantly agreed to. A message this morning informed me that the neighbors had been complaining about noise at the bar, and that the owner had decided to stop the shows. All this after we had pulled a lovely little publicity move for the gig. (See here.)

I hate canceling shows. A couple of years back a venue canceled a gig less than 24 hours before show time because they had “booked a large table”. Wtf? I told them they could go ahead and cancel, but I would never play there again. And I haven’t.

In my mind canceling a show is terribly disrespectful to the band and to the people who (would) come out to enjoy the band. It can be difficult to build relationships of trust in the music scene. Announcing a show is giving your word that there will be soulful music at a given time and place. As such, canceling a show is going back on your word.

Apologies.

Photo

Mon, 03 Dec 2012 06:50:32 +0100

Lust, Longing and Redemption, Live @ Gondozó, November 10, 2012

Fri, 30 Nov 2012 21:37:30 +0100

Lust, Longing and Redemption, Live @ Gondozó, November 10, 2012