Inside My Brain Right This Very Instant

As wiser (and perhaps less wise) people have already said, blogging is the zenith (or the nadir) of our culture's obsession with the "individual." Be that as it may, I want in. So, in shortorder, here are the things floating around my transom as this very moment:

Bitter Bitter Weeks

Looking to change up CI's sound, we approached Philadelphia producer Brian McTear about helming the next CI record. We'd heard his work with The A-Sides and Matt Pond PA and been big fans. What we didn't realize at the time was that Brian's own band, Bitter Bitter Weeks, is completely awesome. Their latest record, Peace is Burning Like a River (High Two), came out in between the sessions for our next record, and when we came into the studio for the last bits of tracking I really considered just covering Brian's songs instead of doing my own. It's been a long time since I was so enamored with every track on a record. Peace... is some really intelligent guitar rock, and if you get a chance, at the very least check out the tracks "Terrified" and "Sincerely, Last Century", and while you're at it just get the whole record cause it's incredible.

The Walkmen - "Another One Goes By"
Speaking of covering other bands, Brian actually told me an interesting story about how his pals in Mazarin received the cover tribute from their pals and tourmates the Walkmen. The tune in question is "Another One Goes By", a brilliantly simple, powerful song that would leave Bob Dylan jealous of the way it makes the everyday poignant and transcendent. Below is a live clip of the Walkmen's cover version, which turned up on their A Hundred Miles Off record.

Nightmares and Dreamscapes featuring John Mayer

the object of my unconscious malice

If you've been to a Canadian Invasion show lately, you may be aware of one of our new songs, entitled "Standing on the Shoulders of the Carcass of John Mayer." This song title, and the concept of the song itself, has taken a few people aback. "What has John Mayer ever done to you, Andy?" "What's not to like about those boyish good looks and those catchy radio songs?"

In order to set the record straight about this song, I must first tell you of a terrifyingly vivid dream I had that I was one of the guys from the documentary "American Movie":

The guys from "American Movie"

Then, in that surreally logical way that dreams work, I felt compelled to kill John Mayer out of frustration with his entire world view. After I did this, I panicked, so I buried him in the yard (like you do) and then I paved over the yard with a basketball court.



But in an ironic twist, just as the first pickup game played atop John's body concludes, my girlfriend turns on the radio and--guess what--it's John Mayer.

So that is the mystery behind my perceived Mayer misanthropy. Needless to say, I never again ate at the Mexican place I ate at the night I had that dream...

Pictures of Lily-livered Canadians

We had the pleasure of playing The Swivel Chairs' CD release party just the other night at Johnny Brenda's in Philly, so I thought I'd share with you some of the beautiful photos Emily Canadian took of me and my handsome CI compatriots.



We're busy finishing up the new album so I don't have any particularly vitriolic rants to share at the moment. In the next installment I will develop a proof to disprove the existense of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter. 'Til then!