The Apneist

Behind the Scenes: Story Transmissions Series

2012-01-11T07:04:00.000-08:00

Story Transmissions is the new animations series that we in A Life of Science have created to help tell the story concept behind our music.

Some of our best feedback from our first album was from people who had read the story treatment for our concept in the album booklet for The Apneist and made associations between that and the lyrics and sonics of our album.

For our new album, Vita Nova, we wanted to tell the story just like we did on the first album's booklet, but we thought it would be more fun and interesting if it was put together in an animated series. For this, we wanted a fun and quirky narrator to keep things light-hearted while informing everyone of the events of the story concept. That's how Beta 3 came about.

Story Transmission 1:

Story Transmission 2:

Story Transmission 3:

There will be plenty more Story Transmissions out soon. Stay tuned.

Cheers,

James

New Music Video - "Prisoners No More [Uptown House Remix]"

2012-01-10T06:55:00.000-08:00

Over the last year, we've travelled all over the Southwest and played some pretty memorable shows. We've goofed off in countless restaurants, raged in some sweet bars, and slept in some uncomfortable places.

The music video for the "Prisoners No More" [Uptown House Remix] (a remix done by myself, A Life of Science lead vocalist James Keenan) was put together using all footage from those great touring moments we've had. Cheers!

"Prisoners No More" [Uptown House Remix] Tour Music Video:

Cheers,

James

"Prisoners No More" Music Video

2012-01-07T10:12:00.001-08:00

Filming our new music video, Prisoners No More, was a pretty painless experience. It was all shot in one day at a room in a warehouse facility on a green screen. We did some performance footage and got some action and dance footage with actress Kelli Apgar.

Director Scott Conditt kept everything moving at a steady pace and was able to transform simple footage into a spacey dreamscape music video. It was pretty impressive to see what became of that day of shooting.

Prisoners No More Official Music Video:

The making of the Prisoners No More Music Video:

"SAN-D4000, You are Immortal" Music Video

2012-01-04T08:23:00.000-08:00

August 2009 was a great month for A Life of Science. We were fresh off the release of our debut album, The Apneist, and preparing to embark on our first ever nationwide tour, where we would release our debut comic book based on our music at Baltimore Comic Con. It was during this brief period that we put together a massive crew to film our debut music video for our track, "SAN-D4000, You are Immortal."

The day of the music video shoot was exciting for all involved. With an entire crew of dancers, hair and make up artists, crew and actors on a huge set with RED cams and major equipment, the video had enormous potential. At the end of the day, applause broke out as "That's a wrap" was declared. Then things got a little weird...

As the crew packed up and got ready to head home, they were met with the very disturbing news that the footage from the day had been accidentally flushed. Since the video had taken months of planning and thousands of dollars to execute, there was a period of grief and frustration...

Fast forward to December 2011... 17 months after the fact, and the SAN-D4000, You are Immortal "lost" music video is finally complete. Since that fateful day of the video shoot, the footage has been recovered, passed through a few sets of hands for editing, sat motionless for months, and, finally, been edited and approved.

May we present to you, the "SAN-D4000, You are Immortal" Music Video. Enjoy.

Many special thanks to Joe Homokay, Matty Steinkamp, Carrissa Carrillo, Scott Conditt, Kyle Smith, Kristin Isaac, Erica Grimwood, Bob McKee, Zakk Geist, Anthony Gabuzzi, Rian O'Horo, Angel Garcia, Kevin Harper, Evan Worle, Bex Cox, Tiffany Goss, Kim Bernard, Becky Keenan, Travis Alexander, and the rest of the crew, without whom this video would not have been possible.

Exclusive Interviews with ALOS

2012-01-03T13:04:00.000-08:00

Our new album, Vita Nova, is a continuation of the concept from our first album, The Apneist.

The story's lead character, Jon Tate, finds himself coping in a new post-apocalyptic world and desperately tries to right the wrongs of his past.

Hear what James and Scott have to say about the new story and music in the interviews below.

Interview 1:

Interview 2:

Cheers,
James

Vita Nova Official Album Trailer

2012-01-02T17:02:00.000-08:00

Digital Comic Book!

2011-09-24T17:48:00.000-07:00

Hey, guess what?

If you haven't read The Apneist Comic Book Issue #0, now's your chance to check out the slick digital version right here.

http://theapneist.com/apissue0dig/

The Apneist Issue #0 is the debut comic book from A Life of Science. It accompanies the band's debut album, The Apneist, and tells the background story of the lead character, Jon Tate.

The Apneist Issue #0 was written by A Life of Science's lead vocalist / programmer / bass player, James Keenan. It was illustrated by Will Torres in New Jersey and colored by Cliff Benoit in Canada.

Here's some preview screenshots to entice you :)

There are more comic books in the works... Stay tuned!

New Light / Stomp Box

2011-05-05T11:31:00.000-07:00

Along with my good friend and engineer, Bob McKee, I have been working on a stomp box / light box for upcoming A Life of Science live performances...

In other words, expect lots of lights and smoke onstage for future performances. Stay tuned...

A Life of Science Webisode #7 - Prisoners No More Music Video

2011-05-05T11:16:00.001-07:00

In a very short time, A Life of Science will release a new music video for their first new single since 2009. The track is called "Prisoners No More." It is a dancey electronic rock song and the video is Tron-inspired. Here's a sneak preview of what to expect...

Here is a look at the new A Life of Science look.

A Life of Science Webisode #6 - Chants

2011-05-05T11:14:00.000-07:00

A modern album cannot exist without gang vocals. Here's the webisode for A Life of Science CHANTS...

A Life of Science Webisode #5 - Vocals

2011-05-05T11:13:00.001-07:00

Here's the webisode for A Life of Science vocals... Featuring yours truly. The song that is previewed is called "Welcome Lights"... It will be the first track on our second full length album, Vita Nova.

A Life of Science Webisode #4 - Guitar

2011-05-05T11:07:00.000-07:00

Just realized I forgot to post video of Scott in the studio recording guitar. Here it is...

Update from the Studio

2011-03-09T18:23:00.000-08:00

Day 17.

Everyday has been an adventure in the studio working on our 2nd and 3rd full length albums for A Life of Science at Mind's Eye Digital Studios in Glendale, AZ with Larry Elyea. Despite a few technical issues, its been mostly smooth sailing.

At this point, the majority of the songs are tracked. Now comes the heavy mixing that comes with the territory when you have dozens of tracks of synths, pads, sfx and electronic drum kits on each song like we do. Six tracks have been mixed so far and we've been very pleased with the results.

Scott Passamonte - Guitar

We run our pre production pretty tight before we get into the studio and record our demos pretty precisely, so we weren't expecting to do much "writing" in our sessions. However, there's been a lot of developments, especially on the vocal arrangements. We definitely haven't been shy about layering on tracks of harmonies, echoes, ooohhs and aaaahhhs.

James Keenan - Vocals / Bass / Programming

We've also been having fun experimenting with the mixes and all the effects/glitching/filters and other marvels made available through modern recording technology. We are doing our best to craft a fun and interesting listen that goes to territories we haven't been before. Needless to say, we are having FUN.

Our 2nd album is tentatively titled "Vita Nova." The latin translation is "A New Life." A lot is different this time around for A Life of Science. We've said goodbye to some dear bandmates and welcomed some fresh blood (including beastly drummer Ben Anderson (from Digital Summer)). Our writing process has been very different as well. The new songs were born on the computer and structured and refined before they were ever played by instruments. Everything about the process has felt new. We feel like a new band. Hence "A New Life" for A Life of Science. In addition, the underlying themes of the new storyline for our second album are about starting a new life.

Ben Anderson - Drums

Not quite ready to start dropping information about our 3rd album just yet (even though it's very near completion.) It probably won't be released for some time. But we are very excited about it, as it marks an even further progression for the band.

To stay up to date, follow our studio webisodes weekly at http://www.alos.us.

Cheers to a future bright as snow.

<3

A Life of Science Webisode #3 - Bass Guitar

2011-02-21T18:57:00.000-08:00

A Life of Science Webisode #2 - Drums

2011-02-14T08:55:00.000-08:00

A Life of Science has been in the studio for a week now. Check out what we've been doing as Ben records/edits drums!

A Life of Science Webisode #1

2011-02-01T14:48:00.000-08:00

Here's a new webisode that follows A Life of Science around for a day as we prepare for the studio.

My Favorite Albums of 2010

2011-01-21T13:00:00.000-08:00

I know I'm a day late and a buck short on this one, but I like to do one every year. Here goes, in no particular order:

The Walkmen - "Lisbon"
I have faithfully followed The Walkmen's career since I was given "Bows & Arrows" some years ago. In that time, I've watched the band morph their New York garage rock fuzz into an easy countryside ensemble whose music unfurls at a leisurely pace. The band has settled into a sound sprinkled with chimey guitar tone, clanky piano, easy croons and even some New Orleans style horns. When I listen to this album, I'm in no hurry.

The Walkmen - "Angela Surf City"

Surfer Blood - "Astro Coast"
"Astro Coast" has a breezy carefree surf rock feel that seems so effortless. Each song has a youthful energy laced with extremely catchy vocal melodies, and just when you least expect it, a new section will sneak up and floor you before you can even figure out what happened. Tracks like "Harmonix" and "Slow Jabroni" don't grab you at first, but have refrains that tug at your heartstrings and evoke some sort of response. Hard to believe all this comes from a super young group of kids from Palm Beach.

Surfer Blood - "Take It Easy"

The Devil Wears Prada - "Zombie EP"
Even though this is only a five song EP, it carries the strength of a thousand albums. Themed as a zombie apocalypse story, this release finds the band expanding their sound further, darker and bigger, thanks in part to the spot on production by Joey Sturgis (Attack Attack!, We Came As Romans, Miss May I). Horror movie voice clips, broken piano arpeggios and haunting strings paired with the violent instrumentation of everyone's favorite post hardcore band makes for a thrilling ride. Album highlight: "Revive."

The Devil Wears Prada - "Revive"

Two Door Cinema Club - "Tourist History"
I couldn't help but fall for this album. The impossibly tight production. The gorgeous vocals and harmonies. The laser sharp dance drums with lo fi snare samples. The playful guitar work. It's almost as if Vampire Weekend and Foals had a baby. Makes me proud to be an Irishman.

Two Door Cinema Club - "This is the Life"

Delorean - "Subiza"
I put on "Subiza" everytime I got wanderlust this year. A desk can be a pretty dreary place when there's a mountain of work in front of you, so I let Delorean carry me away to a little beach in Spain where the dance party is always going strong. All I had to do was close my eyes and I could practically smell the coconuts and feel the sun baking my skin. A fun and uplifting listen with infinite replay value.

Delorean - "Endless Sunset"

The Ruby Suns - "Fight Softly"
I once saw the New Zealand psychedelic island pop group The Ruby Suns at a venue the size of a living room. The band played their sunny songs as a three piece with instrumentation and electronics. Since then, the band has slimmed down to just lead man, Ryan McFun, and honed the sound into more of an electronic vibe. It's impossible to capture the essence of the tropical synth mischief into words. You just have to listen. Album highlight: "Dusty Fruit"

The Ruby Suns - "Dusty Fruit"

A New Year / A New Life

2011-01-19T10:01:00.000-08:00

With a new year comes new possibilities.

2010 was a year of building. Building songs. Building funds. Building strength.

2011 is the year of harvesting.

A Life of Science began in 2006, with a couple of friends casually writing some songs together in a rehearsal space in Phoenix, AZ. We didn't know what we were doing. We didn't know where we were going. We just knew that whatever was happening had to happen.

By 2007, our songs had taken shape and our sound was found... A schizophrenic blend of electronic rock. Slowly but surely, the songs began to tell a story, the likes of which had not been fully formulated, but which grew momentum and substance every day.

By 2008, the story had been articulated into a treatment. A full, cohesive story of a man's journey towards a fiery apocalypse. Our 10 songs were arranged to tell this story through music, lyrics and art. We recorded these as our debut album, The Apneist.

In 2009, we released the album. We accompanied the release with a comic book that explained the story's origins. We toured. We played comicons. We spread the word. We were met with a positive response.

In Fall 2009, we returned from tour a little bit different. Everything up until that point had been a planned sequence of events. We didn't know what came after.

In January 2010, it was time to move forward... Pretty much start over. We dove back in. This time, with purpose. I knew how difficult it was to let songs develop into a story, so I wrote out the new story treatment before I wrote a single lyric... A continuation of the story of The Apneist. As I wrote, I tried to envision it as a full scale major motion picture, and a high budget one at that. Once the treatment was done, I divided it into 10 segments of content and started pairing the demos we were working on with each segment based on style / feel and how those sounds would translate to each part of the story.

By May 2010, the demos were finished in their primitive state. We decided to sit on them for a bit while we figured out our situation. Meanwhile, we spent our evenings editing The Apneist novel, written by our dear friend and talented novelist, Josh Isaac.

Then, out of nowhere, we got antsy and started writing again. I had ideas for the third story treatment as well, so I began that process. By the time it was done, I found that we had the proper songs to tell that story as well. I broke up the treatment and started writing lyrics the exact same way. This time around, I had it down to a science, so the new demos were done in no time.

By the time December 2010 came around, we had recorded demos for 20 new songs... Two albums worth. At this point, it seemed silly to just record one record, so we booked up a full month in the studio in February 2011 (at the same studio, Mind's Eye Digital with Larry Elyea [Jimmy Eat World / Eyes Set to Kill]).

The last several weeks have been spent tweaking the demos to our liking. In 3 weeks, we will hit the studio. We are fortunate enough to have the insanely talented Ben Anderson (Digital Summer / Comfort for Change) recording drums on the album, a new addition since the last recordings.

In addition to having the second and third albums recorded, we will also have a new comic book and novel ready for release, as well as brand new video content. Once we have figured out a release schedule, we will begin putting all this new media out. To say that we are excited is a drastic understatement. We feel as though this massive undertaking of a project is finally starting to flesh out, and we are amped up to see what the future holds.

More updates to come from the studio :)

New A Life of Science Video Blog

2010-09-26T18:10:00.000-07:00

Here's James and Scott in a new A Life of Science Video Blog, which chronicles their progress on the new A Life of Science records.

For more information about A Life of Science, check out www.ALOS.us .

Warped Tour 2010

2010-06-30T11:04:00.000-07:00

Warped Tour in Phoenix, Arizona isn't for the light-hearted. The date tends to be in July every year with temperatures topping 110 degrees for as long as I can remember. Heat strokes, faintings, etc tend to happen in pretty large numbers. Needless to say, Warped Tour is no joke in the Phx.

The day started off with Confide, whom I was familiar with mainly because of their posthardcore cover of The Postal Service's "Such Great Heights." The group threw down fairly well, though the screams seemed to be missing a little of of the glossy sheen that can be created in the studio. But still, good set.

Confide

Next was Enter Shikari, whom I listen to quite a bit but have never seen live. I surely was not disappointed. They brought the fire. In addition to busting out some favorites from "Take to the Skies" and "Common Dread," the show was wildly entertaining. It was obvious that these guys worked on perfecting stage presence as much as performance. Every member of the band, in perfect harmony, participated in planned theatrical events, everything from the standard "jump off the speaker at the same time" bit to falling over dead at the same time to end a song. The band spent plenty of time in the crowd as well, with the lead vocalist stretching his microphone chord to the limits as he commanded the crowd like an orchestra conductor. The guitarist also did a particularly stunning move.. balancing the guitar on his nose upside down from the tip of the neck whilst standing atop the tallest speaker. Bravo, sirs. Best act of the day.

Enter Shikari

Next came Pierce the Veil, who mixed old tracks and new while climbing across their multi-tiered stage. It's not enough to be a musician at Warped these days, you must be an expert hiker as well to reach heights like the tops of amps and speakers while carrying and playing your axe to obtain the most epic of poses. Fun set.

Pierce the Veil

Alesana is always a fun time with lots of energy. I've always enjoyed the yin and yang relationship of the band's singer/guitarist and their screamer. The singer/guitarist strikes me as the kind of guy who would have been the drama class / literary type in High School while their hulking screamer was probably on the offensive line of the Varsity football team. Who knows, maybe their dreams fell short after graduation and they decided to form a screamo band. Either way, the spirit of 80's metal and modern emocore collide in great ways when Alesana takes the stage. The screamer's between-song-banter is generally hilarious as well.

Alesana

Closure in Moscow has a few gems hidden on their otherwise mediocre debut album, and I was hoping to catch one of those when I did a drive-by of their set. No dice. Homeboy on lead vocals was a little hard to watch as well. I've heard of skinny jeans, but this dude was straight up wearing leggings and rubbing up on the mic stand while sporting a silvery shiny women's blouse... in 115 degree heat. Too bad cause they've got some great tracks on their album.

Closure in Moscow

Breathe Carolina was a good break from the chugs and breakdowns that are industry-standard at Warped (although they do sport a slight few mild chugs and breakdowns every now and then, to keep up with code of course.) It was a dance party where thousands of kids could be found jumping up and down frantically, ignoring the fierce desert conditions. Homie's vocals sounded pretty great too.

Breathe Carolina

Only got to see a little bit of Emarosa. They were in the tiny Ernie Ball stage and they started late, while being up against scene buzz band Attack Attack! in time slots, no doubt shrinking their crowd. Jonny Craig can definitely throw down, but crowd morale dipped a bit after he talked about how he hated Arizona.

Emarosa

I'll admit to liking Attack Attack's music. It is a hodge-podge of all sounds currently acceptable in the "scene." Chugs. Screams. Breakdowns. Big, poppy auto-tuned choruses. Hip hop interludes. Dance parties? Yep. All of the above. One minute, the crowd was thrashing around in a circle-pit as the lead screamer thrust his husky self across the stage. Next minute, the crowd was jumping up and down in a frenzy as the electro-dance segments kicked into gear. I'd be lying if I told you I didn't have a great time. Very backing track heavy, but nobody seemed to notice or care. Too busy getting crazy.

Attack Attack!

That's about where we wrapped up the day to go hang out with friends at the bar with cooling fans, misters, etc. Absent from the days festivities were Bring Me the Horizon and The Word Alive. Word was Oli Sykes from BMTH lost his voice... I guess that's what happens when you take your vocal chords through a cheese grater of screaming night after night.

Fantastic times at Warped. Hopefully A Life of Science can get on the lineup next year. Cross your fingers, friends.

#nowplaying

2010-05-23T13:50:00.000-07:00

It's a jungle out there in the music world, so I try to be a good musical guinea pig for anyone that will listen. My tastes are varied. My thirst is unquenchable. Here's a few from the vault that I'd like to take the time to analyze.

Broken Social Scene - Forgiveness Rock Record

It seems like an eternity since Broken Social Scene released "Windsurfing Nation" in 2005. Sure, we got the BSS Presents series. Both the Kevin Drew fronted BSS effort and Brendan Canning fronted BSS effort had their moments. After all, the core members have remained basically the same throughout. But, apparently, once every 5 years, the Canadian collective will gather all their soldiers, from the farthest reaches of the world, to get together to work on an album.

Since the BSS supergroup's inception, nearly all members have experienced some success. Feist might have been the first to blow up, landing some monstrously huge licensing deals. Metric reached a similar tier of success with their most recent album as well. Even Broken Social Scene itself has gathered an ever-increasing fan base.

So the stage is set for BSS for an epic release after 5 years of waiting. Do they deliver? Pretty much. The classic guitar-army sound is back, with the wall of guitars sounding sharp as ever. The band's solid foundation remains, and the album meanders along at just the right pace, showcasing the many faces of BSS. Nearly everyone has their moment. There's fantastic Kevin Drew songs ("World Sick") and Brendan Canning numbers ("Water in Hell"), of course, but they are accompanied by songs driven by the others as well. Apostle of Hustle get their presence in "Art House Director." Emily Haines (from Metric) gets her soft ballad, "Sentimental X's", per BSS protocol.

The band is back together again, and you can sense the joy and fun of old friends seeping from the record. Makes you feel good all over.

Circa Survive - Blue Sky Noise

Circa Survive is sitting in a pretty good spot right now. Their first album, Juturna, turned some heads and got them a pretty big cult following. Their second album, On Letting Go, got them indie famous and able to headline their own tours. Their music has inspired more than a few copy cat bands with soaring Anthony Green style vocals (Tides of Man, Broadway). Now, they have a captive audience ready for a new album.

So we have Blue Sky Noise. From the first song, "Strange Terrain," its clear that we're dealing with a new and distinct vibe. The sound seems focused with an ear for pop sensibilities. Anthony sounds immaculate of course. A new style of falsetto background vocals is layered behind the chorus. The production is smooth and glossy.

The second song, single "Get Out," finds the band reaching for a new type of pop... A head-bobbing, guitar-driven style with fierce vocals. Green seems to push his voice to new heights on this song, not afraid to cause some damage. The screams don't sound screamo. They are on a high register not many screamers dare enter. Dude's got pipes.

After that, Blue Sky Noise heads to familiar territory, semi-prog atmospheric (if at times boring) rock. Some of the songs (Frozen Creek) just don't have the immediacy of the band's former work, and wander along at a slow pace. Some of the vocal work seems like it is no longer catered towards Anthony himself, but more towards what he thinks his primary audience (teenage girls) wants to hear. Lines like "I fell apart in your arms for the last time and I felt free to do what I want because of the things you told me" sound forced to me. It sometimes feels like a string of generic lines pasted together, the sum of which don't seem to say anything of importance. Don't get me wrong, there's some nice moments ("Dyed in the Wool") mixed in. The guys still got chops, but they've traded in Juturna's razor-sharp edge for a happier, milder sound.

The band seems to have found their niche. Thousands of teenage girls at Warped Tour will sing along every word with tears streaming down their faces this summer. Even though Circa Survive isn't entirely my cup of tea these days, I can't help but respect the position they've gotten themselves into.

Miike Snow - Miike Snow

Miike Snow is riiding the hype wave.

As the world has had a year to play out Passion Pit, a void is starting to open up in summer playlists far and wide. Welcome, Miike Snow. I had heard opener and single "Animal" a bit earlier this year as it crept across the blogosphere. I dug it. Then I got to see Miike Snow at Coachella. They managed to keep their smooth electronic sound crisp in a live setting with 5 live band members (in white "Phantom of the Opera masks"). I was impressed.

Miike Snow's debut album, Miike Snow, is pretty darn good overall. Standouts like "Sylvia" showcase the dark and brooding styles the band can whip out at times. The production is spot on. Songs like "Black and Blue" and "Cult Logic" will make their mark on the Summer playlists, perfect successors to the Passion Pit falsetto space-disco sound. However, not every song is a winner ("A Horse is Not a Home"). But, hey. Not a bad debut at all. Kudos, Miike.

The Ruby Suns - Fight Softly

I was privileged enough to see The Ruby Suns a few years back at a tiny club in Phoenix called Modified Arts. The New Zealand 3-piece looked like they belonged around a beach campfire down under, donning bright colors and sunny smiles. Their songs sounded exactly how they looked... Breezy, tropical, fun. The electronics used only highlight the organic sounds used.

The band's new album, Fight Softly, takes the sunny tropical elements from the first release, Sea Lion, and strips them down to a dancier, electronic base. The drums seem to be exclusively electronic, although it sounds as though some live congas were used. The band's lead, Ryan McPhun, is now the only one singing.

All in all, I really enjoy the album. It makes me feel like I'm on a beach thousands of miles away with a Pina Colada in my hand. The album's standouts like "Cinco" and "Dusty Fruit" are formidable conga line worthy beach classics. Even the lesser tracks on the album that suffer from being too trancey and hypnotic "Two Humans," are still enjoyable. Pretty irresistable album.

Coachella

2010-05-19T16:59:00.000-07:00

Due to some unforeseen complications, I was only able to make it to Coachella for Sunday, but I definitely packed in all the acts I could. All and all, Sunday was one of the better days on paper anyway. Coachella is a festival of sound and lights unlike any other. Here's what I saw:

The first act I caught was Local Natives. Their debut effort, Gorilla Manor, has definitely grown on me since my first spin with it. I knew they would be something special live, but they definitely surpassed my expections. They played in one of the tents and had a pretty good crowd for that time of afternoon, with great crowd reactions. The fans seemed to feed off their crisp harmonies, which echoed across the tent smooth as silk. The band members definitely had a "I can't believe we're playing Coachella, this has been a dream of ours" moment, and damn near gave me goosebumps in 95 degree heat.

After that, we rolled down to Deerhunter on the mainstage. It was interesting seeing them in the light of day (I had only seen them once in a small club), their form of music seems like it would benefit from the cloak of night. But, surprisingly, the summer sunshine seemed to give them a surfier vibe I hadn't picked up on before. The set's highlight came when Lockett's guitar was malfunctioning and frontman Bradford Cox filled in time with an impromptu acoustic ditty about Coachella and the probability of various children being conceived as a result. Classic.

The choice between Julian Casablancas (from the Strokes) and Jonsi (from Sigur Ros) was tough, but the group went with Julian. He kept up his typical machismo and swagger by donning sunglasses and a leather jacket (in the desert.) Only Julian could make it look like it wasn't even contrived. Dude was probably born in a leather jacket. The set wasn't disappointing. His effortless croon kept things strutting along as they should. Fun. Plus they did a Strokes cover of "Hard to Explain" that rocked. Hard.

Miike Snow. Miike Snow's album has some killer tracks on it. I wondered how the band would present itself live and how electronic the setup would be. Turns out, they perform as a 5 piece live band (with some backing tracks). They really sounded clean and looked sharp. They were wearing white "phantom of the opera" type masks. Classy.

Phoenix. I've seen Phoenix before so I know they can throw down live. There crowd was absolutely massive. I mean huge, the biggest I saw all day (besides Gorillaz). The crowd seemed to know a ton of lyrics and the band seemed to be having the time of their lives. Total victory.

Pavement. Phoenix pretty much jacked Pavement's crowd. I guess even an epic reunion like that can't pull the people from a hype machine like Phoenix. I've always heard that Pavement was never a festival band, and I kind of get it now. Their brand of quirky indie songs are best enjoyed alone in your room as opposed to a big outdoor venue. But still, mad respect for Pavement.

I went to the festival with some friends that are great fans of electronic dance music (EDM.) Although this isn't my particular cup o' tea, I will say that I appreciate electronic sounds and hey, lets face it, sometimes dance music is flat out fun. The Sahara Tent at Coachella is about as fun of a venue for such a thing as you can imagine. A massive sound system that wraps the whole tent. A stage set with lighting rigs beyond comprehension. As the sun was setting, it was time to move to the dance tent.

Orbital put on a solid set. Solid beats. Solid lighting / visual stage production. Then came Plastikman. I guess this guy doesn't really do this performance too often and it was a highly anticipated show that cost many thousand dollars to put on. Whatever Coachella paid for this act, it was well worth it. The DJ was surrounded by a cylinder that covered his entire booth. The cylinder was lit with LCD type screens (or projections) that were not unlike a Winamp "Visualizer"... crazy psychedelic fractal-type images that seemed to ebb and flow with the music's every bend. The images never formed any real object, only colors, lines, swirls and shapes that were like an extension of the music, fascinatingly beautiful and diverse, morphing into different formations for each part / song. Some loonies were passing out kaleidoscopic glasses to everyone in sight for the show (Were they hired by Plastikman to do this as part of the experience? I'll never know.) Regardless, the result was unlike anything I've experienced. A masterful combination of sound, visual and kaleidoscopic madness. I now think I understand this wave of culture, this EDM experience. The EDM regulars seemed to understand how significant this performance was. They deployed thousands of glowsticks and formed a mound of them in the center of the crowd, swimming through them in delight. God bless Coachella. Haven for the crazies.

Thom Yorke. Of course it was amazing. It was Thom Yorke. Couldn't really get up too close cause it was massively populated, but this minimal techno low-key set was very calming after the intensity of the Sahara Tent.

We closed the night out with Gorillaz. It was the final act of the festival and was unrivaled by other performances at the end of the night, so I can't even imagine how many people stood before the great LCD screen that covered the entire Coachella mainstage for this monstrously huge production. Lord knows how much it cost to put on this show. The animations flowed through the entire set, giving the audience constant eye candy for the entire hour and a half set. Gorillaz has never been my thing, but I can honestly say that I was entertained and pleased throughout the duration. It would be tough to hate on.

Gotta make it all three days next year. It's an experience unlike any other. Yayyy Coachella.

Let's Catch Up

2010-04-12T13:33:00.000-07:00

Things have been busy here at A Life of Science camp. Hard at work on our sophomore album, the sequel to The Apneist. The storyline picks up right where the last one left off. The demos we're recording are starting to come together, so I'm sure it won't be long til we hit the studio to record. Feeling great about the whole thing.

In other Apneist-related news, The Apneist novel is nearing completion. We are completing our edits. More news on that to come. As far as the comic book side of the project, our new artist is hard at work on the next chapter, The Apneist Issue #1. Lots of video projects in the works as well. Stay tuned.

The band got together to play some shows over the weekend. We had a venue show on Friday night. It was our first show in nearly 6 months! It felt great. Then on Saturday we played at Suitefest music festival by ASU campus. Great turnout and great show altogether. We played with What Laura Says, Black Carl, The Wiley One, Katastro and Snake Snake Snakes. The pool party was legit too. Here's a few pics:

A Life of Science

A Life of Science

Black Carl

What Laura Says

A Life of Science

We will be heading out to Coachella this weekend to unwind and enjoy life. I'm really amped on the whole thing. Here's my highlights for each day:

Friday:
1. Grizzly Bear
2. Ra Ra Riot
3. Passion Pit

Saturday:
1. Camera Obscura
2. Hot Chip
3. Dirty Projectors

Sunday:
1. PAVEMENT!!!!!
2. Julian Casablancas
3. Thom Yorke

It's gonna be a time. I'll see you all out there!

Hot Bizness

2010-01-07T14:28:00.000-08:00

Let's start off today with some nice footage from Juan's Basement. For those that are unfamiliar, Juan's Basement is a show where a dude (in Chicago, I think) invites bands to stop by his house on their way through town to record a performance and chew the fat for a while. There's been some pretty rad guests in the past, including No Age, Liars, Broken Social Scene and The Walkmen, just to name a few. This week, Juan had the boys from Vampire Weekend over for a jamboree.

I'd also like to share this video from one of my favorites, Islands. Their third release, Vapours, was not my favorite of their records (even though it is amazing), but I am a faithful Nick Diamonds fan and will give a hearty chance to anything he releases. Not sure how, but they got budding film star Michael Cera (Superbad, Juno) to star in the video, stoned to the gills on LSD. I find this concept very amusing. You might too.

In case you haven't noticed. It's video day :) Here's an oldie but goodie. I chose it because the music and animation are equally innovative and perfectly synced. I'm also a huge fan of the lyrics and message. "Our work makes pretty little homes. Agenda suicide. The drones work hard before they die." None of us want to lie on our deathbed wondering why we worked like stiffs for our whole lives and didn't stop to smell the flowers. Brilliant. Brilliant. Brilliant.

The next video is from my boy Bradford Cox from the band, Deerhunter. His melodies are always intriguing, his lyrics are always dark, and his songs are always expressive and moody. He operates under the name Atlas Sound when working solo (or with musicians other than the Deerhunter members). I was actually a fan of the last Atlas Sound record... pretty solid all the way through. This clip is from Pitchfork's "Surveillance" series, which combines intimate performance footage with random ass surveillance clips. In the clip, Bradford is on his own with a Line 6 looping pedal, throwing down. It's amazing what one man and his pedals can create.

I'll check back soon. My New Years resolution was to blog more :P

<3

A New Life

2010-01-06T11:55:00.000-08:00

Hello all. Just wanted to check in and let everyone know whats new and awesome in the world of A Life of Science.

We have been hard at work on the follow up to The Apneist. Though we can't reveal the title of the new project just yet, I can tell you that it picks up right where The Apneist 1 left off.

The story for the new project is complete. It finds Jon Tate in a whole new set of adventures. The music side of things is coming along nicely. Almost all of the lyrics have been completed, which of course follow the story. The songs are all picked out and are currently being hammered and chiseled into well-manicured busts, 12 in total. It seems as if this album will have a more tranquil feel, but there will still be moments of heavy-handed rock to express the heavier story elements. There might even be some outright pop and dance moments as well if we are feeling saucy. And we very well may be.

The holidays were lovely and relaxing. Now its back to business. We are currently putting together a 2010 touring and Comicon schedule, so we might just end up in a town near you for an evening of delight. Cross your fingers.

As far as culture, I've been trying to pick up some new music whenever possible....

The new Vampire Weekend, Contra, has been the listen of the week. It's great to see the group integrate more electronics into their skeletal sound a la Rostam's side project, Discovery. The melodies are still catchy as ever. Still plenty of Paul Simon influence. Tough to resist the charms of V Dub. Some standouts are "White Sky," the galloping electronic beauty, which they've been playing live for some time now, as well as "California English," a wound-up schizo-pop song that finds Ezra speedily barking through some heavy voice correction. "Diplomat's Son" is also worth mentioning. It is the most epic ballad on the record using strings and voice loops to croon along at just the right pace.

It is also worth noting that Animal Collective have kept their streak of relevant releases with the Fall Be Kind EP. The first track,"Graze," was instantly familiar. I had listened to it a few times on a two year old live NPR performance from back in the day. It's amazing to think that they're playing their new material out years before it appears on albums. I guess that gives them time to hash out any inconsistencies or flaws in a hands-on way before it hits record. Brilliant. The other track that really caught my ear was "What Would I Want Sky," a sprawling song suite that is downright gorgeous. The last three songs are spacey and characteristic of Animal Collective B Sides. Def worth the listen though. These lads can do no wrong in my book. They've had me since Sung Tongs.

I also picked out some Pitchfork darlings for listening. The Real Estate album is very soothing. I like to have it on as backdrop music because it makes me feel like I'm in the countryside laying in tall tall grass with a glass of sweet tea in my hand. Nothing mind-blowing here, just some lush guitar landscapes and folksy flavor that let you drift away as you zone out on your computer.

I've also been digesting the Bear in Heaven album, Beast Rest Forth Mouth (great album name, by the way haha!) It's dark and brooding with some highly psychedelic atmospheric moments. It's downright chilling/haunting at times, so you gotta pick out the right moment to give it a spin... When you're feeling, uhh... haunted?

That's all for now. Be back soon.

<3

Top 5 Albums of 2009

2009-12-22T10:59:00.000-08:00

2009 was a great year for music. I was all over the map with my listening. Here's my year end list for top 5 albums...

1. Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
It was obvious to me from the first listen that Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix was destined for blog love, indie stardom and car commercials. The whole album is wrapped in a glossy sheen of candied production that makes it tough not to jump on board. Thomas Mars' "of Montreal-esque" croon soars above the crisp "Strokes-esque" pop structures like butter across a muffin. The boys hit the mark on this one, setting a new standard for indie pop records... "effortless" style with undeniably catchy melodies. Home run.

2. The Dear Hunter - Act III: Life and Death
Former The Receiving End of Sirens member Casey Crescenzo's current concept project makes The Decemberist's concept albums seem like elementary school book reports in comparison. Casey's Act III (of a 7 part series!) plays out like a broadway musical on steroids, combining rich classical compositions of strings, synths and bells with cutting edge rock riffs to create an experience that puts you in the driver's seat of a cruel story from ages past. The vocals are flawless in arrangement and performance. The songs are varied and fresh. This is a marvel in production and concept; technically jarring and emotionally stunning.

3. Camera Obscura - My Maudlin Career
One of my favorite aspects of "My Maudlin Career" is its timelessness. Push play now and it sounds like a modern classic. Play it 40 years ago and it would have fit right in with the Doo Wop girl groups of the time. Tracy Anne Campbell's woeful tales of failed romance and longing hit home with anyone who's ever had a broken heart. The soundtrack of heart-wrenching strings, weeping guitar and warm brass lead Tracy's lovesick ballads along a path of sadness with glints of silver lining speckled among the clouds.

4. The Devil Wears Prada - With Roots Above and Branches Below
How did a trendy breakdown album of throat shredding screams, chugs and pinch harmonics sneak into my year end list? Simple. It permeated into my skin and fed the savage beast in me that wants to destroy. It's rare when I can get through a day without blasting through at least one track at high volume. The first minute of this album is so dissonant and horrifying that it hurts your heart to even listen. If you can stick it out, a gorgeous symphony of synths, strings and big choruses will reward you for enduring the violence that stabs its way across the album. The production on this opus dwarfs any post hardcore album this decade. The mathy chug patterns are infinitely fresh. The percussion is above and beyond that of its contemporaries with fills that are as swift as they are powerful. The guitars dance across the battlefield like two doves in love. The bar has been raised.

5. Passion Pit - Manners
This album made my list for one reason and one reason alone.... It makes me happy :). Nothing groundbreaking or innovative, just a collection of danceable and highly infectious tracks that makes you feel good all over. The vocals are ridiculous upon first listen, but once you realize that they are coming straight from the heart of frontman, Michael Angelakos, you will grab your balls and sing along convincingly, whether you match pitch or not. Michael certainly doesn't care... He flats notes all over the place and it just sounds charming. It's no wonder that these Boston kids are riding the buzz wave. Well-deserved.

Honorable Mentions:
Miniature Tigers - Tell It To The Volcano
Discovery - LP
Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion
Islands - Vapours

Time Stands Still

2009-12-01T18:08:00.000-08:00

Dreadful of me to log off for such a postponed period. My apologies.

So where did I leave off? Buffalo. Yes, Buffalo. An unbelievable time. Played at a venue called Club Diablo that truly lived up to its name. A metal bar that was suited for Halloween year round. Skeletons, gargoyles, spider webs. Great place for a rock show. We played with some pretty badass groups. This is Voyage really tore things up right off the bat. Their electronicore was much appreciated by yours truly (I'm a closet The Devil Wears Prada fan, and these guys strongly resembled them.) The guys were young and excited. Their future is bright indeed. Kept in touch with them too. They emailed me their EP and it was pretty solid.

The band that we set that show up with is called The Bunny The Bear, a skitzo-electronicore band. Their concept is priceless. A big brooding vocalist in a vicious bear mask singing beautiful melodys while a smaller vocalist in a cute bunny mask throats out brutal screams. So fun. The Bunny got black out drunk and spent most of his time in the crowd; pushing, flailing, hitting his head against the wall/ground/stage... even vomiting (and wiping the remnants on the shirt of an unsuspecting girl haha.) Priceless. Great guys. Great times.

New York City was super dope. We had Comicon the first 3 days we were there. It was so cold and rainy out that we could barely hang. We wore every jacket and article of clothing we had and were still ice cold. We did get to stop at some really amazing pizza joints though. Must've had a slice every few hours while I was there. Got to have a rich and buttery NY cheesecake while I was there, too. Tasted like silk.

After the long Comicon days and afterparties, the crowds usually started heading to the bars. The nightlife in NY was glorious. We were hanging with a NY native who was able to herd us around like sheep to the destinations of our choosing. "Let's go to a bar with a big beer selection." "Follow me." Subway. Boom. There. "Okay, now let's go to a Hookah bar." Subway. Boom. There. "Okay, let's go to a bar with lots of girls." Subway. Boom. Bar by NYU loaded with girls. "Okay, karaoke bar." Boom. Korea Town. Golden.

We also got to go out one night for our manager's birthday. Went to a little Thai place in the lower east side. Delicious and huge trays of sushi for cheap as hell. Sake bombers. Bliss. Then our manager just had one request... for our guitarist, Anthony, to do a Wasabi snooter in his honor (You've all seen Jackass, right?). Well, he actually went through with it. Despite some gags, he actually kept his dinner down too. Very impressive. We went out around there and saw some legendary places (Cake Shop and a few other notorious venues.) Amazing night.

So, yeah. Now I'm at home in Phoenix recalling all the lovely times the road has to offer. I've been super productive since I got back. Wrote the next Apneist comic book. Started writing the next album / story concept. Got loads of web work done. But damn. I just can't stop thinking about the open road... Where I belong. FML.

Planning a huge 2010 so I can do all the things I want to do. Wish me luck. Back soon. Kisses.

Tour Update

2009-10-21T12:46:00.001-07:00

I've been pretty bad about updating this thing with all the madness that goes along with touring. I'll try to recap this week's events as best I can recall...

Rockford, IL was a great stop for sure. Kryptonite Bar was a really rad place. The staff were all really cool and we were really well-received, especially because the owners are into comic books, so our concept definitely appealed to them. I'd love to stop there again next time we tour the midwest. I imagine that place gets pretty rockin on a Friday or Saturday night.

Chicago was amazing as always. We stayed at my friend Kyle's place and it was quite luxurious. We took over the basement, which is super lush. It's even got a cribs-style movie theater for when we had some downtime. We also got to stop at Portillo's for some Italian beef sandwiches. I've been craving them for years since I last was in the Windy City, so it definitely satisfied my urges for that succulent feast. The place we played at in Forest Park was so-so, but we got to share the stage with a rad band called The Sweeps from Chicago. They tore shit up. Especially when they busted out a cover of Arcade Fire's "Wake Up." Dominant.

After the Chi we headed off to Columbus for the Mid Ohio Comic Con. We were lucky enough to stay with a couple at their place in German Village. The neighborhood was amazing... cobblestone streets, tall old style homes, awesome local shops (my favorite of which was "The Book Loft," a 3-story maze of walls of books, dozens of themed rooms, each with their own ambiance).

The couple we stayed with, Phil and Deanna, pampered us all weekend long. They put us up in their attic, which was actually a dope lounge / bar / entertainment area, decked out in sick vintage furniture and 60's style antiques. They cooked for us, fed us beer, showed us around town, and overall were just plain amazing.

The Comic Con was fairly small, but it was a great way for us to get our sea legs for that type of thing.We are all super new to the comic world, so we needed some practice for the big events. We definitely made an impression on anybody that came near us, and we got to do a pretty badass acoustic set in the conference center. Everything was well-received and fun was had by all.

The Monday after Comic Con we hit the OSU campus up to promote for our show that night. The students were all pretty nice, and we met some good people that came to the show. Great day indeed.

Cincinnati was the first hiccup of the tour. The afternoon started off lovely. We found an amazing park in the woods to play some cornhole and had a very relaxing time. However, we arrived at the venue to find that we had been booked to play at 1:30am on a Tuesday with all hardcore bands from out of town with no draw. As we roamed the area outside the venue, the streets were completely empty, with the exception of some extremely seedy looking characters. We all got the same dark feeling in the pits of our stomachs, and mutually agreed that this was probably a dud. We later found out that our show was in the most dangerous neighborhood in America. No joke. Our hotel was pretty ridiculous too. Scott and Anthony went outside the room to have a cigarette and were approached by a crackhead looking to borrow a spoon. I'm sure Cincinnati is a great place, but the area we were in was just plain wretched. To make things worse, a little flu bug descended upon us as of that night.

We headed for Baltimore with much anticipation, ready to get far away from Cinci. The drive was lovely to say the least. It was my first time driving through Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Maryland, and I wasn't prepared for such breathtaking scenery. Loved it.

Baltimore is a very unique and fun city. The convention center for the Baltimore Comic Con was right by the harbor, which was loaded up with shops, restaurants and scenery. The Comic Con was much bigger than Ohio, and we got to premiere The Apneist Comic Book. It ended up being a very successful weekend. Over 8,000 people passed through on the first day alone, adorned in wild costumes, armed to the teeth with bags of comics, toys and freebies. The typical fare of Star Wars, Predator and Ghostbusters costumes were present, of course, but my favorite, hands down, was Powdered Toast Man (from Ren & Stimpy). Brilliant.

After a crabcake dinner at the harbor (an absolute must), we settled in for the night to rest up for New York. It wasn't a very far drive. Pulling up to New York City was an unforgettable experience. It doesn't even seem real. We saw Manhattan and the statue of liberty as we drove across the bridge. It felt almost overwhelming. We navigated through the city streets and found the venue, The Delancey, which was actually a really badass place. It is three stories high. We played downstairs, some very eclectic acts played in the middle floor, including a very talented cellist, who had a wicked loop station set up, and built songs from the ground up... big, swelling symphonies. Amazing. We also got to have some bomb New York pizza. Score. Gotta have each area's trademark cuisine. Got to.

Today, we drive out to Buffalo, New York, to play with some hard working bands from our same genre, who seem genuinely nice. Can't wait to rock out with them. It's starting to get pretty cold around these cities, so we are wrapped up in many layers. Today's drive might be the loveliest so far. Dense forests of multi-colored fall trees, bright yellow, burning red, forest green. Just amazing. Stopping for some grub now, then time for my driving shift. Ciao.

More tour videos!

http://www.modlife.com/alifeofscience

Sailing to Rockford

2009-09-30T13:49:00.000-07:00

Day 4 on the road. Loving every second.

Traveling through Missouri was loads of fun. Got to drive through some radical small towns and villages and mix it up with the locals. Headed up to St Louis a day early before our show to relax. After we checked into the hotel, we headed out to experience the St Louis nightlife. The venue was in University City by the colleges, so we checked it out. A local jam band was playing. They had the place packed with day-glo hippies, forming hacky sack circles and dancing like banshees. It was an impressive sight. We befriended a dude in a banana suit (no joke) who showed us around town, and a lovely lesbian couple that taught us some sweet dance moves (true story).

The locals were super nice in St Louis. We did some promo around town the day of the show and on the college campus, and everyone was a great sport. Anthony (our guitarist) even got to carry a girl to class. He also attended a class for a little bit and interviewed some of the students.

We had the pleasure of meeting Beatle Bob for coffee that afternoon. He is infamous around the world for dancing on stage at Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, Jazz Fest and a slew of other festivals. Rumor has it that he has been to a live music event every day for the last 30 years or something. We got to interview him and hear some wild stories. He's got loads of them. Good man. Beatle Bob. Wikipedia him for reals.

Our show that night was dope. We played with a band from Minnesota called My Lady Four and they were bomb. We had fun drinking some suds and bullshitting with the dudes, our bands are very much alike.

So now I sit in the van and roll towards our next destination... Rockford, IL to play at Kryptonite Bar. Heading to Chicago right after the show to hang with friends and family. Can't wait.

Be sure to watch all of our craziness on Modlife.com.

http://www.modlife.com/alifeofscience

To infinity...

And so it begins...

2009-09-26T13:27:00.000-07:00

Day one. On route to Las Cruces, NM. Tearing through the cruel heart of the twisted desert at top speed.

The last few days have been utter madness. Despite our greatest efforts, last minute stuff came up, but all was handled. We are free.

I drove the first leg of today's trip. Pulling a 10 ft trailer is a lot like driving a boat. Anthony Gabuzzi (@Gabuzzi), guitarist extraordinaire, currently has the reigns of this great beast as it glides gracefully across the lands. Godspeed. The ride is smooth so far and there's lots to do in here. Our TM, Rian Ohoro (@horboy80), is dishing out some sweet jams as DJ... I'd have to say the highlights so far have been "Heaven is a Place on Earth" and "Come Sail Away." Epic. There's also a N64 in here... Mario Kart, Smash Bros, Goldeneye. Shits gonna get nutty.

I've been meaning to get going with the music reviews I've promised. I've been absorbing two albums with great interest this week. The first is the third album from Canadian indie pop group Islands. It's called "Vapours." The other album is riding a huge blog buzz wave... "Album" by newcomers Girls. I'm gonna give them each a few more spins and then spill my thoughts and smear them around.

I'm writing this from my phone at the moment, but once our Mi-Fi is up and running, I wanna post some multimedia stuff up in this piece.

Gotta run... I've been challenged to a van dance off in lovely Wallthrop, AZ. Next stop: Las Cruces, NM. I heard it was lovely this time of year. Hurricane Alley, get ready to have your faces imploded.

The Sophomore Slump

2009-09-18T10:13:00.000-07:00

It's gonna be an insane weekend, the last before we take off for tour. I've never been away from home for 5 weeks straight, so this could be interesting. Lots and lots of rehearsing to do, as well as shopping for the odds and ends that we will inevitably need while we are gone.

I got to scope out the van yesterday. One of our tour managers, Rian, decided to buy the van for the tour, because his heart was swelling with love and goodwill, and because the transmission on his car crapped out at just the right time. Let me tell you, this van is a dream machine. It's more like a big limo than a van. Leather captains chairs with loads of extra room, rich mahogany trim, strip lighting, TV/VCR, two CD / audio players with headphone jacks throughout... It's even got a little vacuum so we can keep it tidy. We are so blessed!

We are having a little going away party this weekend as well. My folks, with their infinite love and support (no matter how insane my life choices may be), have opted to host the party, and they will be loading up on finely spiced BBQ and cold beer for the festivities. Friends and relatives alike will gather to celebrate what will surely be an adventure of epic proportions. We will even have a donation jar so we can collect gift cards, gas money and dry foods... haha!

I am anxious to hit the road and get going. I'm excited as can be for the shows, but I really think the Comicons are gonna be a hoot as well. The Apneist is the first comic book I've ever written, and I'm super anxious to see how it fares among a crowd of consumers that aren't afraid to revel in the surreal, to dive into products of fantasy with completely open minds and experience worlds beyond their own. I never thought I'd be in this position, and I sure as hell didn't plan it this way, but I have a feeling that going multi-media with our album is gonna enrich our lives in some unexpected ways.

I am grateful that the silly string of events that I call my life has delivered me to this moment in time. I am surrounded by strong, positive people who are ready and able to ride this rollercoaster together into the great unknown. Let the intrepid travelers ride on.... to infinity.

An Introduction to The Apneist Blog

2009-09-16T10:27:00.000-07:00

When it was suggested that I start a blog, I racked my brain trying to come up with a central theme. What can I write about with interest and zeal? What do I know? I'm just a kid from Arizona with a dream looking to cut my teeth in a series of formidable and intimidating industries.... Errr... Wait. I could write about that I guess, couldn't I?

So let's get introductions out of the way so we don't have to be strangers anymore. I'm James. I sing. I play bass. I play keyboard. I do graphic design. I write. I live in Phoenix, AZ.

Phew... so that brings me to this point in time.... The date is Wednesday, Sept 16. In 10 days, I will be embarking on a journey throughout this great country of ours. My band, A Life of Science, has put together a tour centered around 3 major Comic Cons that we will be exhibiting our new album / comic book at. We will be doing some random Comic Con performances as well.

So yeah... 10 days left... 10 days that I will spend every waking hour planning, practicing and promoting. We just got a new van today, and its a sweet ass conversion van. It's even got a TV and VCR, which is huge (especially since one of our tour managers has a wicked VHS collection). We are looking at trailers this week.

I feel good about my job as A Life of Science's graphic designer at the moment. I was able to successfully order albums, comic books, booth materials for the comicons, tshirts and promo cards for the tour. Damn near killed me, but all's well that ends well.

Now, as the days creep closer and closer, I let the feelings of excitement, anxiousness and nervousness wash over my body with each passing moment. I'm pretty much too busy to fully take any of it in, but such is life.... and I love life.

I'm gonna be blogging daily. This blog will serve as my tour diary and my journal. Also, I listen to loads of music (mostly indie rock) and read as much as I can, so expect full reviews and recommendations. I'll also be talking about "The Apneist" a great deal.. it's pretty much been my life for the past few years. I'll explain later what exactly "The Apneist" is, because that's a whole dialog right there.

Thanks for tuning in. If you want even more up-to-date blogging from yours truly, look no further than http://www.twitter.com/jameskeenan.

Over and out. Hmmm... I'd better work on a better closing signature, ha!