NEWS FOR THIEVES

Friday Night Right!

2009-11-15T18:09:00.001-05:00

Thanks to everyone who came out this past Friday to the New Collisions CD release. A great lineup and a hell of a night. Good fun.

Summer Heat

2009-08-23T18:06:00.004-04:00

First, a recent video encapsulation of our show at TT the Bears can be found HERE

Second: what have we been doing? Writing. A lot. We have 10 -12 songs in production, all rough demos, and several more in nascent form. It's an interesting mix of stuff and we're still trying to figure out where the overall sound of this album is going to fall. Stay cool out there.

Book Release

2009-06-03T15:17:00.000-04:00

Tell Me A Story

2009-05-06T16:12:00.000-04:00

Chris Pappas from the Everyday Visuals wrote an interesting blog about people wanting to know the "story" behind bands. "What could our story be?" he asks. "We, in the Visuals, try so hard not to fall into that trap - but if it costs us new potential fans, then what is the point of being stubborn...why not give them a story?" This, obviously, got me thinking about the issue of art & artists. For as long as there has been art, people have been interested in the artists. The first caveman to rhythmically smack rocks together, the painter(s) responsible for the cave of Lascaux, that blind bearded guy who babbled/wrote The Odyssey; I'm sure they were all discussed in a non-artistic context. "You know that guy who was bangin' those rocks last night?" a fellow caveman probably said. "Lived with him at Cave College. Majored in Mammoth Clubbing. Nice guy. Real talented."

We want to know about the artists who serve as channels for this abstract notion of music. As Mr. Pappas points out in another posting, "they [listeners] want the experience of experiencing things THROUGH you, the artist. They don't want you to talk about their lives - they want you to talk about your life, and when it happens to shadow what they are going through, that's when the connection with the artist is made." Sometimes this connection occurs without any prior knowledge of the artist; you hear a song and it resonates with you in a deeply profound manner. This is perhaps the ideal situation, one in which the art stands on its own and functions as a unique force. Yet more often than not, people who hear a great tune or album will want to know more about the band or musician. The music is what draws us in initially but being the inquisitive monkey descendants that we are, we want to know more.

The question that arises is what happens when this process is inverted (ie. when the story of the band outweighs the music itself). I actually think that in this day and age, we almost uniformly hear about a band before we ever actually hear them. It's the product of living in a technologically advanced and media savvy era. Rarely do I go to a concert without knowing something about the bands playing (where they're from, who they're friends with, even the layout of their MySpace... all indicators in some way). I suppose there's nothing wrong with this although it does minimize the chance of ever discovering new music in the purest sense of the experience.

Having a story (no matter how mundane) is a given. What's worth considering, then, is the difference between being a band with a story and a band with a gimmick. The former is organic and unavoidable while the latter is generally contrived and a conscious decision on the part of a group or artist. Clearly there are some gray areas in this paradigm (bonus points to me for using the pseudo-intellectual powerhouse word "paradigm") but it's nevertheless a worthwhile distinction to make. I think there may be some cases where a band's story dictates their music/style which may lead to one artistic element of their persona becoming a calling card of sorts. But when a band (from the outset) trades exclusively on a gimmick, it seems disingenuous, especially because this gimmickry is usually a supplement for quality, creativity, or originality. If your band plays mediocre garage rock and you dress up like wounded Civil War soldiers, it doesn't change the fact that you're playing mediocre garage rock. The same would be true if you were wearing smoke-emitting neon sombreros, playing four-neck guitars, or sporting a fire-swallowing lead singer.

"But wait," you say. "Isn't rock and roll supposed to be a spectacle? Isn't it supposed to be an outrageous show, a veritable psychedelic trip of fantastic visuals and sonic madness?" The short answer is yes. Rock and roll, as a culture and a music, has always been a visceral art form. Elvis' initial success was as much product of his swingin' hips as it was the result of his toned-down blues covers (also, he was an easily marketed honky). Every band chooses an image and brings it to life on stage. Even not choosing an image is a calculated choice of image: hello Pavement. A band's image, like a story, is a given. People will see you, whether it's live or in press pics or online.

Ultimately the defining measure in this discussion is the autonomy of the music. Many years ago, I heard a raw, bluesy, rock song on the radio; the guitars sounded rough and real, the drums simple and heavy, the vocals yowled and sincere. Unlike the rest of the overproduced modern rock I generally heard on this station, this song sounded real. The band was the White Stripes and I liked them, before I knew they were a two-piece ex-couple who wore exclusively white and red. The music hooked me and their story and image were secondary discoveries. Peppermint outfits and cutesy tales don't make great bands. Great music makes great bands. There's a story.

TBL

Writing: Part 1

2009-05-01T13:17:00.000-04:00

Aaron and Tyler are happy

For many, the concept of creating a new piece of music is a bit of mystery. This holds true for us (the band) as well. Sometimes I'm baffled by the creative process that results in songs and, eventually, whole albums. I suppose there's an infinite number of permutations but here are the most common ways in which our songs are born:

The Seedling: Sometimes one of us will have an idea from which a whole song expands. It can be as simple as a few chords or a rough drum beat but ultimately this tiny starting point is what kicks off a whole song. We're at the stage as a band where we're all comfortable in bringing in the most half-baked, poorly-formed, shreds of music for consideration. Nine times out of ten, the rest of the band can make something out of these nascent sounds. Bright Keys was a drunken drum beat Mike had stumbled on (perhaps literally) one late night in our practice space.

The Strawberry Jam: It should come as no surprise that we're not an improvisational jam band. While we all appreciate groups who can creatively expand their songs in live settings (local luminaries Apollo Sunshine) without falling into mindless and boring circles (West Coast hippies and drug aficionados, The Grateful Dead), it's just not our thing. That being said, some of our best songs have come from free-form messing around. Mars Vigila was basically an instrument swapping end-of-practice jam that later coalesced into a pretty tight rock song.

The In-Flight Entree: We all write on our lonesome. I think all of us have a collection of pretty polished song ideas floating around and every now and then, we decide to deliver a piping hot serving of near-complete music to the rest of the band. Here's To Waking Up was an old tune Tyler had kicking around that found new life in Thick As Thieves. I Heard A Pin Snap Loose was a more or less finished instrumental piece Aaron had written on acoustic. The nice thing is that even the most complete songs are subject to changes when the whole band takes them on. What you start with is never exactly what comes out at the end.

The Frankenstein Stitch-Up: You write enough songs and you end up with a collection of parts that don't make it or don't get used. Sometimes the recombination of these odds & sods can yield far more interesting results than whatever their initial direction was meant to be. This requires a certain level of self-editing; just because two parts are good on their own doesn't mean slapping them together will create a double-good song.

Post-Rumble Post

2009-04-13T10:25:00.000-04:00

Thanks to everyone who came out to the Middle East this past Friday for night #5 of the WBCN Rumble. We were thrilled to play to such a packed house (sold out at 9:30!) and with three other diverse and entertaining bands. Gene Dante ended up winning the night and Destruct-a-thon snagged one of the wild card slots. I guess that fella' from the Luxury was right about us being too short. All in all it was a blast. A few pics from the night (thanks to the respective photographers for their shots):

Screen Printing

2009-04-10T13:58:00.000-04:00

We (Thick As Thieves) pride ourselves on how much we handle in-house. Beyond the obvious band activities (writing music, booking shows, etc), we also do all of our own recording, engineering, mixing, album artwork, and merch designing. Add to that list screen-printing as Mr. Kleinfelter (assisted by Dr. Michael J. Cotter) managed to crank out 100 new Thick As Thieves t-shirts in one Saturday. Behold the process:

Above: the screen. Below: men at work

Above: the test print. Below: the final product

WERS Local Music Week

2009-04-06T14:20:00.000-04:00

This past Friday we piled into the WERS studios to play three songs and discuss our band (and other bands as well). We were playing the tail end of WERS' Local Music Week and we were honored to close out such a nice event. Our massive set list included: Here's To Waking Up, I Heard A Pin Snap Loose, and Rx Goliath. A few pics for you:

April

2009-04-01T13:15:00.000-04:00

We all attended a pre-party for the WBCN Rumble this past Monday. A mess of bands, a few drinks, and one free Miller Lite a piece. Good fun. It's always interesting to see the range of people who make up the local scene: it's like going to a rock and roll zoo. I'm excited to make the most of my all-access pass for the week. There are a lot of great bands to check out (and a convenient excuse to eat & drink at the Middle East for a few nights).

Between practicing, we've plodded onward with our writing efforts. It's hard to say what kind of sound is emerging and it may be too soon to really try and define it. Only time will tell.

Where You Been?

2009-03-24T11:19:00.000-04:00

Photo by Jeff Allen

What the hell? We're almost through March and into April? The passage of time is a slippery fish indeed; it just seems like yesterday that we were kicking out our 4-song EP and basking in the afterglow of a successful musical birth. I guess not. We have been busy though. We've been demoing many new songs and working on the foundation for a massive full-length. It's hard to get into specifics as of now but I can assure you this will be a wild leap forward for the band. More information to come as thing progress and crazy concepts are realized (or discarded).

We've also been asked to play in the 2009 WBCN Rumble which is an honor. We're scheduled for a Fri. Apr. 10th set, at 9:30 sharp. Please join us.

This week we'll be practicing and writing while Aaron is away on tour with The Everyday Visuals (he's filling in on bass for the southern leg of their return trip from SXSW). Lord knows what the remaining three bandmembers will come up with...

This Octopus...

2009-01-14T11:03:00.000-05:00

Basement Dwellers & Video Stars

2008-12-23T18:48:00.000-05:00

Recording continues over the course of several nights in our basement lair. A spirited debate on this year's preppiest band and a debate on the merits of some choice spirits. Plus, a special performance by Mr. Michael J. Cotter.

A bonus, behind-the-scenes look at the filming of "The Octopus" -

I'm Waiting For The Man

2008-12-08T10:12:00.000-05:00

The recording process has kind of slowed down with the absence of our fearless leader and ProTools guru, Mr. Aaron Benson. He's been on tour (playing bass) with local legends, The Everyday Visuals. We get infrequent updates from the road and it seems as if he's doing alright and is being fed on a regular basis. In the mean time, we've been demoing some vocals and percussion ideas in anticipation of his return on Tuesday. Also, here are some additional pictures from the last few recording sessions:

Below: Mad Oak Studios in the morning...delightful.

Below: Mike(s)

Below: The mixing board. Apparently, every one of those buttons actually does something.

Below: Recording guitars for Rx Goliath and Disasterology at our practice space.

Below: Penny and Billy in the bathroom

Below: Penny receiving messages from Beyond...

Bueller...Bueller....Bueller....

2008-11-24T14:10:00.000-05:00

A reasonably warm Monday morning. Half the band are at work while others are enjoying an unexpected day off thanks to exploding man-holes and a power outage in the Theatre District. (insert your own joke here). Kellen and Aaron are in the midst of a Ferris Bueller-esque adventure as we speak (Aaron just belted out "Twist & Shout" in the middle of a parade).

What we've been up to: Saturday afternoon/evening Kellen recorded his guitar parts for "One More Jack Rose" and re-recorded his bass parts for "Disasterology" and "Rx Goliath." While his playing was transcendent, the initial bass parts Kellen tracked were somewhat lacking due to amp problems. The new sessions sound fantastic and we're more or less ready to start doing vocals for both songs. Using Aaron's Fender Jag and a host of pedals, Kellen also filled out "Jack Rose" quite nicely. It's an interesting tune in that we've never played it live and are basically hearing it come together as we record it. It's one of those studio-born songs that will be fun to try and translate on stage. Tuesday night we're meeting with Gustave to discuss The Octopus video's new concept and to record some vocals for "Jack Rose" In the meantime, back to work..or gallivanting around the city.

One More Jack Rose

2008-11-20T08:58:00.000-05:00

A cold, sharp, night in Boston. We're starting to flesh out the newest song on our EP, the rambling "One More Jack Rose." The drums we recorded at Mad Oak have been comped and edited and there are scratch guitar and bass tracks for reference. The song is reminiscent of "The Octopus" in terms of the instrumentation: noisy guitar, thick organ, wandering bass, and some wonderfully frantic drumming. There are a few calmer moments and a quieter outro that should wind down nicely into the third (and as of yet untitled) song on the EP. Also: cats...lots of cats. Witness the process:

A brief sidenote: Mariokart has become the videogame of choice for the band. We've kicked around a new theory that our character choices say something about our personalities (Mike - Yoshi, Kellen - Bowser, Tyler - Donkey Kong, Aaron - Diddy Kong) We'll let you decide.

Once More, Dear Friends

2008-11-17T14:16:00.000-05:00

Yes, we're rebooting Endangered Noises Rescue Foundation to help us once again document the long and arduous process of recording a new album. The band is shooting to release a four song EP in mid to late February (tentatively entitled "Rx EP"). But that's not all we're going to share with you: we're also playing shows, writing new songs, eating strange new animal parts (more on that later), and working to produce a major-level video for "The Octopus" in December (as a way of closing out the "True Believers..." album in high style). More info and pictures to come later this week.

In the mean time, a brief video of the tracking we did at Mad Oak a month or so ago. We've tracked drums for our last three albums at this fine Allston recording studio and once again were thrilled with the sounds we got.

Post-Post

2008-04-13T21:41:00.000-04:00

So clearly we're done with the album. We mastered everything at Peerless, there are new songs posted on our MySpace, and we're just waiting on the physical shipment of CDs to arrive. Posters, t-shirts, stickers, and pins are in production. Whole lotta propaganda to spread. Overall we couldn't be happier with the end result. There's a nice flow to the 8 songs on True Believers...and a good mix of electric and acoustic tunes ("kind of like Zep III" according to one of our friends). While nobody is foolish enough to try and stack us up against Jimmy Page et al, I think there's some truth to that album comparison. A lot of bands these days stick to one formula throughout (loud & fast, mellow jams, dance-punk, post-rock flamenco, etc) and it gets real dull real fast.

Above: final vocal session for the Octopus. Below: Kellen overcome with excitement.

Above: Mike goes down. Below: cats supervising post-mastering listening party.

Above: mysterious graffiti appears on the wall of our practice space.

On The Cover

2008-03-18T11:18:00.000-04:00

Here it is, friends: the face of "True Believers In The Long Walk Home."

Round Nine

2008-03-16T14:40:00.000-04:00

Big business (L to R): Benson, Littwin, Kleinfelter, & Cotter

We're adding some horns to "Zephyr" on Tuesday but for now we're heading down to the practice space tonight to record the final harmony vocals for "The Octopus." For all of you interested in cover art, take comfort: we'll post something later this week, something beautiful.

Rent "No Country For Old Men" if you haven't already seen it. Hell, buy it.

Round Eight

2008-03-13T11:07:00.000-04:00

I know what you're thinking: is that another live picture? Aren't these no-talent pheasant grabbers supposed to be recording and mixing? Yes and yes. We took a break from staring at Aaron's computer to play a sweaty show at Middlesex this past Monday. Thanks to a flu, Tyler's voice crapped out halfway through the set. Thanks to the patience of everyone there, we managed to finish an energetic set with a minimum of damage to vocal chords & equipment. So, thanks.

Back to the issue at hand: between shows, photo-shoots, interviews, and new tattoos, we've managed to keep working on "True Believers In The Long Walk Home." Aaron has been mixing like a man possessed and we've all been gathering nightly to tweak levels and give our unwanted input. Are there breaks for intense games of Mario Strikers? No doubt. But our work is shining through: there are rough mixes done of all eight songs so it's down to the nitty-gritty details now.

NYC

2008-03-01T18:41:00.000-05:00

Last night in NYC, this morning in Boston, with a snow storm in between. Mike is a champion driver. Aaron's mixing "Goodnight, Danny-Boy" as we speak and the rest of us are heading down to O'Briens to check out The States. You should too.

Round Seven

2008-02-26T16:10:00.000-05:00

Big news: we have an album title and tracklisting. Yeah, it's that good. Some basic stats:

Album name: True Believers In The Long Walk Home
Total running time: 31 mins (give or take)
Release date: May 2nd
Number of Tracks: Eight

I. First News From the Zephyr
II. Weak End With No End
III. Mars Vigila
IV. Chemical Division
V. The Octopus
VI. I Heard A Pin Snap Loose
VII. Goodnight, Danny-Boy
VIII. There Were Sparrows

We're working on the artwork and if all goes well, we may even throw up an album cover for you to stare at. With your eyes.

Round Six

2008-02-24T22:45:00.000-05:00

Yes, yes: this is a long overdue post. We've been delinquent in our updating. Lots of big changes in the world of Thick As Thieves. In between recording binges and a wonderful show at TT the Bears (thanks to the Everyday Visuals) we welcomed Kellen Kleinfelter back into the fold as our bass player. He's eight kinds of awesome. What of the recording, you ask? This afternoon Aaron and I tracked basic vocals for "Chemical Division" and basic harmonies for "I Heard A Pin Snap Loose." We're reaching the end stages of tracking and by the end of the week, the new album will be a mess of unmixed sessions for Aaron to reassemble. Please don't be alarmed if you don't see him for a few weeks.

"Goodnight, Danny-Boy" has turned into a beast of a song. The bridge took a turn for the psychedelic as the pictures below will prove. Expect the unexpected.

Above: Tyler forgets the words. Below: Mike plays the PA (no, really)

Above: Mike plays Bessie (again, I'm serious). Below: crazy percussion.

Friday Night Lights

2008-02-06T08:57:00.000-05:00

photos by DBomb Photography

Thanks to everyone who came out this past Friday night to see us and KidNapKin play some musical songs at the Middle East. We had a great time. More recording news later this week.

Practice

2008-01-22T23:15:00.000-05:00

We get by with a little help from our friends (Kellen on bass & Stephen on keys...)

Big show on Feb. 1st at the Middle East Upstairs. We're taking the noise to Cambridge with our good friends in KidNapKin.