Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: ark, awesome, darkhorse, drums, kit, Noah, the material
Check out Noah’s new Darkhorse kit.
Filed under: Roi | Tags: 5, albums, around the fur, can't, death cab, deftones, dummy, get up kids, live, plans, portishead, red letter day, Roi, the material, without
My 5 albums I can’t do with out. (Author: Roi)
Dummy / Portishead
1) Dummy/Portishead Ever since I was introduced to this album about 10 years ago I have been in LOVE with it. I find that I am always in the mood to hear Beth Gibbons sultry voice and the perfect down tempo beats that accompany her. From the opening note to the very last chord this album sucks me in and sends me to a smokey club in London where I can imagine taking in the whole Portishead experience. If you don’t own this record I suggest you buy it NOW.
Around the Fur / Deftones
2) Around the Fur/Deftones There is no other band that has influenced me more as a musician than the Deftones. Stephan Carpenters unique way of blending metal riffs into a radio ready format is unmatched. Then there is Chino. His vocals throughout this album are haunting, beautiful, and fierce all at once. If you come see us play a show you will most likely hear me play “My Own Summer (Shove It)” or “Be Quiet and Drive” during sound check. All the Deftones albums are great but this one changes the way I thought about playing guitar.
I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning / Bright Eyes
3) I’m Wide Awake It’s Morning/Bright Eyes I caught on to Bright Eyes late. While most would say that Lifted is Conor Oberst’s best work I am inclined to go with what I was introduced to first. I love the story telling intro and extremely honest lyrics like “My Parents have their religion but sleep in separate houses” make me understand why he has been called the modern day Bob Dylan. The addition of the female backing vocals throughout the album just add the the passionate nature of the songs. He sings from the heart and I can appreciate that. Not to many people do that nowadays.
Red Letter Day EP / The Get Up Kids
4) Red Letter Day EP/The Get Up Kids Best 5 song ep EVER. Hand down. I have been known to listen to this 10 times in a row on long drives. Every song in s a sing along and makes me happy through and through.
Plans / Death Cab For Cutie
5) Plans/Death Cab For Cutie Ben Gibbard is amazing. Like Conor Oberst he writes honest lyrics that draw you in and paint a colorful picture of the story at hand. “Brothers on a Hotel Bed” is especially moving and “Soul Meets Body” could be the worlds most perfect indie rock song. This band and album give me constant inspiration for songwriting and shows me what true musicianship is all about.
Filed under: Noah | Tags: custom, dark, drums, horse, kit, material, percussion, the material
Noah joins the Dark Horse Family!
What’s up everyone! This is Noah from The Material and I wanted to give you some not so secret news about what is going on in my world recently…
I have been in contact with numerous drum companies over the past few months, and I have finally made my decision about whom I’m want to work with and have be part of our family. First let me tell you what my specs for the new kit will be:
- Rack tom 8 x 12
- Floor tom 16 x 18
- Kick 20 x 24
- Gloss White Lacquer with Wood Grain Orange Powder Coated Hardware
- 1” Tube Lugs
- This kit is going to be mean!
It’s going to sound huge and it’s going to look classy while still having that custom look! Now with a kit like this you can normally expect to pay anything between, $2000 and $4000 depending on who you purchase it from. Custom drums are no doubt expensive, but there are people in the industry who are blatantly overcharging people, because their clients are none the wiser. I feel bad for the people who have put tons of money into a custom kit, feel let down (after 90 days later, because that’s pretty normal turn around time to get a kit made) and regret spending all of this money. I have heard numerous nightmare stories from people about trying to get quotes on drums, the run around that they are given, and the shady way that quotes are priced, when they are received at all.
Now this may scare some people, but I have the solution. If you want quality drums, that look great, are priced very competitively, and if customer service is as huge a selling point as it is to me…than look no further than: DARK HORSE PERCUSSION. I spoke to the owner directly. He is friendly, hilarious, and fast-to-respond, and he doesn’t hide anything about what is going on. AND he’s a famous movie star! Check out BEWARE! Children at Play.
My experience with Anthony (owner) has been great. We started talking a few months ago, before the band went on tour, and I recently called him outta the blue and we picked back up as if it were only a week since we spoke last. If my kit meets my expectations, I have a feeling I will be working with Dark Horse for a long time to come. It will be here in a month, just in time for recording our new record. I will definitely keep everyone in the loop when I get the kit. www.darkhorsepercussion.com go there…check it out! They have awesome kits, at great prices.
xoxo
Na Na Na Noah
Filed under: Roi | Tags: band, bell, chipotle, cruelty free, diet, on the road, pizza, qdoba, taco, tempeh, the material, tofu, tour, vegan, veganism, vegetarian, vegetarianism, veggies
Kermit the Frog would appreciate Veganism.
Hello all, welcome to my first blog! It’s magical isn’t it?
As some of you may or may not know I am a Vegan and have been for about 4 years. Before that I had been a Vegetarian for about 8 years. The most common question I get is “What do you eat?”, immediately followed by “You still eat Chicken, right?”
So, what do I eat? Anything I want really. Many people see Veganism or even being a Vegetarian as limiting yourself. I see it as opening a whole new realm of possibilities that most don’t even know exist. What helps is that I love to cook, and have obtained a pretty good knowledge on how to cook from my years in the restaurant industry (got to pay the bills while you are chasing your dreams….). There are a whole host of available plant based foods that are high in protein, calcium, and any other nutrients that are needed for a healthy life. Some of my favorites are Tempeh, the ever versatile Tofu, and I love greens.
Let’s start with the most pressing situation, what can a Vegan eat on tour? Here are a few things that I found that are cheap and easily assessable.
- Taco Bell Bean Burritos with no cheese are cheap and filling.
- Subway Veggie Delight Sandwiches without the cheese are great (I have them load so many veggies on there!)
- I love Chipotle and Qdoba as well.
- Pizza? No problem. Most all pizza places will make you a pie with no cheese and all veggies. Just ask what is in the dough and you are set.
Besides restaurant food I cook for myself. On our tour with Blameshift I bought a Coleman propane camp stove and Jon bought me a camping pot and pan set. These things came in quite handy. Did you know that you can feed 5 people for $5? One can of Marinara and one package of pasta noodles…presto! Also, rice and beans are an easy fix on the road as well as the ever popular PB&J.
When it comes down to it, I chose to be a Vegan, no one forced me. I look forward to finding things to eat that do not cause harm to any living creature. As for the reasons I am Vegan, that can be saved for a later blog…
Roi
Filed under: Matt | Tags: budget, budgeting, cheap, dollar, eat, money, on the road, stretch, subway, the material, tour, your
How to Stretch Your Per Diem Dollar on Tour!
Hello everyone. It’s Matt from The Material. I wanted to write a quick note to all of you to talk about something very important to a touring band. Food. As some of you may know finding three good meals while on the road can be pretty tough but finding three good meals a day for 5 bucks? That is nearly impossible. Here are a few tips and tricks from me on how to live on 5 bucks a day when on the road.
Step one: Think quantity not quality. You can get some really good deals on the Taco Bell value menu if you don’t mind eating pretty bad Mexican food once a day. Other fast food places have dollar menus also and this is a great way to make your money last.
Step two: Don’t pay for sodas/ fountain drinks. Get a water cup and just drink water. If you are touring during the summer you need the water anyway. Spending 2 bucks on a soda takes half of your money away and doesn’t help give you the nutrients you need.
Step three: Don’t even try to eat at a sit down restaurant with 5 bucks. Even if it’s a cheap place you gotta tip and you’re not going to have the money to do it. Trust me.
Step four: Throw in a 5 dollar footlong from Subway once in a while. It’s a great way to get two meals for 5 bucks and you can get your fix of veggies and other healthy goodness.
Other notes: If you and one of your band members want to avoid the fast food put your money together and go grocery shopping. You’ll need an ice chest or some way to keep perishables cold though. You can get hot dogs, buns and condiments for under 10 bucks or bread, peanut butter, and jelly for pretty cheap also. (You can cut some of these cost by grabbing condiments at fast food places.)
Also, carry a water bottle around with you. When you stop for gas fill it up (usually free at gas stations for water). This will save you money and stop from filling up your van and the planet with useless plastic. Along the same lines. If you bring a bunch of noodles or microwavable mac and cheese with you, most gas stations and truck stops have hot water dispensers for hot tea and coffee. Take in your food, ask the clerk if it’s cool and fill it up. They also usually have microwaves for hot dogs and other things you might pick up at a grocery store. Avoid the 4 dollar coffee at Starbucks. I know it’s great, but if you bring some instant coffee with you and hit the gas station first thing in the morning you’re set.
I hope some of this info will help you fellow touring bands out on the road.
Next time, how to stay fresh and clean when you’re living in a van!
Matt
Filed under: Colleen | Tags: art, band, Colleen, color, custom, d'agostino, drip, inspiration, material, moreaux, painting, rock, sound, the material
One of Co's Drip Paintings
Hey Everyone! Colleen from The Material here to update you on something cool. Lately, I have come up with a new way to help overcome my writer’s block for the new album. It is really tough to write hundreds of songs every year and hope that each lyric can be special and have the ablity to relate to our fans. I was having a tough time feeling creative so I decided to pick up painting.
When I was a kid, I wanted to be an artist. I even had my aunt make be a barre hat so that I could wear it while painting on my little easel in the garage. (Yes my older sister still makes fun of me to this day 
I guess it got put on the backburner when I realized my real passion was music. But now it is time to pull that easel out of my parents garage and get my creative juices flowing! Last week I started a new company called Color and Sound. I even put up a MySpace page where I will be posting paintings that are for sale. I specialize in abstract kind of stuff, and my first peices are what I call “drip art” where I put my canvas vertical and drip different combinations of paint down the canvas. It is super fun for me to paint with no reservations, outside with my bare feet covered in bright paint, just creating whatever comes to mind. What a great release!
If you want to see more of what I do, check out the new MySpace I just put up and add me at www.myspace.com/thecolorandsoundsite. I have a special fan deal going on right now for the smaller canvases and they are going like hotcakes so buy one now! You can email me at colorandsound@live.com if you want to chat about the peices or if you want me to design you a custom one!
I can’t begin to tell you how much the guys and I appreciate the fact that you support not just the band, but us as individual artists. It really means a lot to us. Thanks so much!
xo
COLLEEN
