Stormcellar Band Home Page

Our friend Rick was an inspiration to me to want to write the fastest, simplest, most direct truth I could think of.

When we wrote 'we the people' we worked with the idea of simple, declarative statements of positivity.

I learned that from 'get up, stand up'.

Simple; declarative; brilliant.

I note that there's still a decent dose of Rastafarian Proselytism, which you can take or leave as you see fit, Babylon, the central message of the song is simply as well put as I think it can be done in this universe.

Get up.

Stand up.

Stand up for your rights.

Get up, stand up.

Don't give up the fight.

It feels like we're in an age where the norms of civility are challenged.

I maintain that we, individually, are not helpless. That we, individually at first , and then collectively as more of us take a stand,  are capable of holding Authority to account.

It's at times like these that I believe Music has a useful role to play in making those ideas easy to communicate and transfer.

It's at times like this that we need truth more than ever. 

Thank you Mr Marley, you said it as well as it can be said.

Get up. Stand up.

Considering all the nutso stuff going on right now, it's important to celebrate some great moments in being an Aussie.

In this last week, we voted to keep working towards equal treatment under the law for people who love each other.

We're Aussies, so yes, we can still stuff it up before we get it right, but we can get it right. Eventually.

Also worth noting, even if Theo's the only one of us who's a mad soccer fan, congratulations to the Socceroos for qualifying for the World Cup.

It's a Big Footballing Deal. Well done lads. Soccer (or football, to properly term it) is a religion to some.

Australia's 1970's migrant European communities are insane football fanatics. We're still a relatively small country on the world stage, yet we strut our stuff with cocky aplomb, collectively we demand our sporting heroes win against the odds, because, well, we're Aussies and We Fear No Football Team.

Except the All Blacks.

Yes, they play Rugby and they Dance. Now that's scary.

Well done Socceroo's, well done Australian Public At Large for starting the conversation about being cool with Marriage Equality.

Go, you good things.

EDIT

Normally, when the blog is quiet, we're busy doing stuff.

Sometimes, it might mean downtime and not much going on.

this is not one of those times.

Sometimes I contradict the first line with the second (sigh).

 Let me try that again: I was expecting some downtime now that we released 5D, a single etc. Not so much.

5D is out, we're in rolling production on SC11...oh hang on...let's try this in segments:

5D

I dig it and would like to keep tweaking it indefinitely. Thank heavens we've had the good sense to not do that.

Yet - 5D part 2 is now at concept stage. 

We had originally intended to use Youtubes multi-stream capability to put 5D up in layers and allow the viewer to select the layer.

That was phased out before we finished initial production.

I had been putting the layers up as hidden links and didn't realise it was still sending the links to our youtube subscribers, oops. Subscription has its benefits I guess.

The first 5D output was a good result, I hope we can take what we learned form that and do some more interesting stuff.

Which brings me to 

Beyond 5D & 5D Sonic Reference CD

If I can get a version of Dinesh's 'Manifesto' together and the Flamenco version of "Brave with your heart' together I am going for it.

That will lead us to Beyond 5D.

A few DJ mates have asked whether we'll release a CD for 5D.  My first thought is to release ALL of it - alternate takes, the instrumental versions, the versions we didn't use in the video. I like all of them in their own way. The stuff that made it to the video was the best total overall vibe for the finished 5D piece.

That would require mastering and a few extra costs so I'm not rushing, and there may be additional work relevant for 5D in the next phase of recording.

More Videos

I'd like to do a video for Pirouette electric, the last idea I had required much googling and reading on green screening and alpha keying. I don't grasp it all enough yet and I have had at least 2 goes at it so far. The words are all on the page, I even understand the words. Maybe it's the order of the words that is confusing me.

Also 10 bit and 8 bit.

I like that it's hard, I like that I don't get it yet, it's good to keep pushing into stuff I don't know.

Seeking Local Influences

There are songs in development and that makes it the right time to get influences in.

We're listening. It's great. Mr Wizard has been out seeing some touring J-bands. Expect a new J-Blog from him soon.

Music is being passed around, discussed and reviewed. Big muso comparisons and discussions ensue.

PL has invited the crew back for another listening session to pilfer from the ideas of the masters. Yep. 

It's a good time to explore where we are.

SC11 in rolling production

Pirouette (electric) is out as a single. There are two more songs in the can, awaiting final vocal, harp solo and mixing.

Right now is a good time to experiment.

To that end, it's worth thinking a little about the individual production processes we have used for each album. Here's just the last 4 projects

5D - Ambient sounds, single take for the guitar, additional elements in the studio over 9 months, everyone involved had to say 'yes' at first invitation.

Defiance - Mid western sound, digital production, high end studio, multi tracked in a single 6 day block, mixed in the US at leisure by AJ

KC Gold - Old school sound, simple production, mixed studios, live tracked with limited overdubs, all in a burst in KC in 5 days and then repented repaired in Sydney.

EFLH - Soundtrack vibe, variations on theme, mixed studios, single take and multi tracked.

SC11's process is Write, Rehearse, Record. The first sessions we did produced Pirouette and two tracks. In the spaces between the sessions, we'll be out seeking new ideas. Expect some random stuff up here as we check out interesting things and seek inspiration.

Scammers are trolling the gig guides, loading up the names of all the bands who are listed and generating links to fake streams.

Top Keks to Rosie for sleuthing out a blatant PHISHING attempts on youtube using our gig as bait.

I found a link to a free live stream of our Saturday gig and I was 'oh.' On the one hand, hmm, ok, someone's gone to some trouble, that's kind of nice.

Of course I'd prefer they streamed a set where I didn't have a flippin' panic attack mid set. 

Getting video'd comes with the territory. Getting all huffy about it doesn't suit our disposition.

If we have a beef we can request a DCMA take down, yet if it's done by a friend of the band or someone who is into it and wants to share it non commercially, it's hard to get mad or make a fuss. 

Thus I might have made a 'grrr...oh well' noise until Rosie did some digging and found it was a straight up scam.

Today I spotted a link to a 'Full Live Stream' for our Sunday show at the Marrickville Bowlo.

Except that show got rescheduled.

Someone out there is using FAKE live band streams to try and rip off or scam people.

NOT COOL.

Getting video'd at a show comes with the territory. We can understand and deal with it. If you post it, it's kind of an affirmation that you dig it enough to do it.

If we wanna complain about copyright infringement, well, we'll have that chat when it bugs us enough to do so.

Using a fake link to a fake thing from a show that didn't happen to get you to click onto unknown stuff?

HELL NO.

It's not our first trip to The Pirate Universe.

I know our stuff has been circulating on the swappable web for years, I once followed a link to a file to a happy Russian website that was suspect as hell.

I came here, posted a note saying 'watch out for Russian Pirate Sites' - No matter what you're up to, you cheeki breeki, 99c to CDBaby for a song is safer than a D/L with a .exe from Unknown Sites. If you're gonna Pirate, be careful.

So today I say:

Watch out for non authorised streaming of our gigs - it may be scam.

If we intend on live streaming, we'll post here a note here, or on FB/Twitter or whatever we wind up using.

BE CAREFUL if you follow a non verified link. The online scammers are pretty good at making convincing fake stuff.

How you doin?

Saturday was a good show. Our recent thoughtfulness in set list construction has returned some good vibes.

Parking in Coogee on a Saturday is still an exercise in patience.

Just as we went into Heavy Weather I had a decent sized Panic Attack. First one I've had mid set for a little while. I did think I may have to run screaming from the room a few times and was surprised to actually get through it alive. That's the way it goes.

Cheers to Matthew who was up the front and spotted the signs, calling out 'hey michael it's gonna be alright'. Well timed sir, very well timed.

I had a conversation with P. afterwards, it's good to be able to talk about this sort of stuff. Sometimes when someone you see is open about it, it helps you to be open about it too.

As these things do, they roll in and out, like the weather, and what's left behind gets on with it. Fortunately the song after was 'hate to see you go' by Little Walter and that's some strong mojo for what ails ya right there, and face it, playing Harmonica is all about breathing, right?

5D Responses and beyond 5D

There is some love for the 5D Project, it's doing what I hoped. There were a few other ideas that didn't make part 1 and I am up for trying them for part 2. Working on it.  

In Search of the source

We're making another pilgrimage to hear sounds from Mr Pete Lowry - Pete turned me on to some stuff and I reckon Mr Wizard and Brother Bill will get a boost out of the ideas. 

Over the last few months there has been continued music swapping and idea swapping inside the band, thanks to the wonders of youtube.

Brother Bill blew my mind the other day when he showed me a clip on Coltrane's Giant Steps that shows Self Relationship, or Fractal relationship in music.

If I understand it, I think Bill just showed me that Melody IS rhythm. I'll share the video here. 

We have a considered list of items we're keen on pursuing, and right now, listening to influences and ideas is top of the list.