Category: CKB

ExDetectives’ first show at the Echo Curio this Saturday

exdetect_airways_cover.jpgTime to fulfill one of the rules of having a blog: self-promotion!

It’s been awhile since I last played guitar in any kind of public context, but after seven months of work it’s time for this one particular Manhattan Project to finally make an appearance. More to the point we’ve put a hell of a lot of work into this and we’re terrifically happy with the album finally being able to play some shows: starting with our first show this Saturday night at the Echo Curio in Echo Park.

We’ll have some CD-R copies of the album (titled Airways. that’s the cover over there) to hand out to everyone (we don’t quite yet have real CDs done), but the entire album (it’s a full album too: 11 songs) will be available to download shortly. Until then, there’s four tracks up on our MySpace page.

If you’re in town, I hope to see you there!



exdetect_curio_20070915.jpg

Ex-Detectives update

Short Ex-Detectives update. We finished up all the recording for the album and we’re on the last go-round of letting the making sure the angles are straight, letting the paint dry, and sweeping up the dust. Some of this will show up on the MySpace page and a new website that is still undisclosed.

In the meantime here’s some overdubbed ambience courtesy of Yours Truly…

Feed a cold, feed a fever, feed whatever ails you

I’m not much of a hamburger eater these days, but when I have a cold all I want to eat are hamburgers. Full-on king hell gravity-well craving. Specifically I’m looking for a burger from an extra hot grill that has a nice crispy char to the outside of the beef with a thick zone of medium rare inside. The bun only needs to be sufficient enough to sop up the juice. Anything else is unnecessary (cheese, bacon, and onions are OK. Pickles, lettuce, tomatoes, and dressing are not). As much as I love the Apple Pan, Pie And Burger, and Tommy’s (which really belongs in its own category) they don’t really satisfy the I’m-sick-want-burger crave. Sorry In-N-Out fans, but you’re just not on the radar.

If I was anywhere near Portland I’d be on my way to Burgerville right now as it’s dead on what I want. The bacon burger at Sidewalk Cafe on Glenoaks gets about 70% of the way there. Still looking…

Wednesday Bleh: Coffee, Coyotes, and Downtown

Obvious observation of the day: A technical book cannot be considered to be broken in unless you have spilled coffee on at least five different pages.

Following up on my coyote sighting a couple days ago: Fred notes a picture he took of a coyote near Beverly & Formosa. The Larchmont Chronicle has more information and notes:

City officials believe the animals may be migrating through an aquaduct under Pan Pacific Park from Runyon Canyon, said Shondell.

…

Coyotes have also been spotted on Las Palmas, June St. and Alta Vista Blvd.

This last sentence blows my mind:

Coyote bites in L.A. on humans number 67 in 30 years, largely resulting from feeding them.

Bloody hell people. It’s 2007! Do we STILL have to tell people to not feed wild animals?

A couple weeks ago, I had to go to downtown LA during the midday. Big deal, right? What’s notable about it is just how routine and uneventful it was. Used to be that you had to stifle anxiety, hassle with transportation, and adopt a get-the-hell-in-and-get-the-hell-out mentality. This time was absolutely pleasant and with the added bonus of stumbling across a terrific restaurant (thanks Pete’s Cafe & Bar).

Not to get all Gladwell at you here, but that downtown critical mass seems to have finally happened.

*BLAM*

In lieu of any other kind of post at the moment, I’m somewhat traumatized after the trusty New Hampshire amp lost about two-thirds of it’s volume during last night’s practice.

1. I have to get it fixed since the only sound the Ampeg reliably makes is a 60 cycle hum.
2. Is this when I finally break down and buy an AC30? Anyone have a blue-speakered Vox they want to sell?

What’s My Effects Setup

Fender Jazzmaster

And of no interest and no relevant Flickr group, here’s my current guitar, effect, and amp set-up (also on an annotated Flickr page)

Someone out there has perfected the Infinite Improbability Drive because in a little under three months I’ve joined a band and all this ancient machinery lying around has been dusted off, fired up, and brought back to full power like some forgotten spaceship. I found the Jazzmaster a little over ten years ago at the much missed Black Market Music. I played it steadily back then before putting it (along with everything else) in storage. Carruthers Guitars (I can’t recommend them highly enough!) replaced the frets and cleaned out the wiring and now it feels like a brand new guitar. Unbelievably loud too.

Occasionally there’s a Vox Cheetah and a mid-70s Telecaster driving all this too.