For this week's GLG Fresh MP3 Friday we are thrilled to offer you a few tracks from the Daytrotter session with Neutral Uke Hotel, Golden Bloom and The Motion Sick, (with lead singer Michael J Epstein from Michael J Epstein Memorial Library). Anyone who knows Daytrotter, knows they are in great company with bands like The National, Local Natives and Wavves, who have haunted the halls with studio sessions of their own. Coincidently, Golden Bloom is currently in the studio with Peter Katis, who also produced The National's recent Best Album of 2010 contender, High Violet, as well as 2007's Boxer.
Take a listen to the in-studio performance, and if you love it, you can download it for FREE:
To our fans, please feel free to post any of the approved songs on your blog or tweet to your friends. Check out our list of clients and available mp3s here: greenlightgopublicity.com. If you're not on our email list to receive these directly and want to be, please send an email over to info@glgpub.com.
Courtesy of Daytrotter/Illustration by Johnnie Cluney
As a Neutral Milk Hotel fan myself, I've accepted the fact that Jeff Mangum will not be reuniting the band for a comeback tour. In fact, I would hope he wouldn't, because that would simply be a bit too Bon Jovi for my taste. (Sorry Jon, you seem like a really nice guy, but I expected a few more rock & roll moves on your recent appearance on Ellen). But I digress.
Shawn Fogel of Golden Bloom had this little idea to recreate Neutral Milk Hotel on ukulele just once for a show in Boston. Neutral Milk Hotel fans had another idea however and Neutral Uke Hotelwas born.
A few months ago, the band comprised of members of Golden Bloomand The Motion Sick took the show on the road, stopping off in Iowa for a Daytrotter session. Daytrotter'sSean Moeller said of the experience:
"...Shawn Fogel is out there, moving around, turning the staggeringly emotional and moving songs that Mangum wrote lo those many years ago into magnificent homages to the originals. Only, the Golden Bloom frontman treats them with his ukulele - though he strays from giving them a cheeky, wine-tasting party blush of romanticism that fellow uke-wielding crooner Dent May might. They are pretty, close to the vest renditions and yet, they feel less like strict covers and more like tributes with a capital T. This rolling company of buddies in the bands Golden Bloom, the Motion Sick and Fogel's quirky Neutral Uke project share an immediately catchable thread of needing closeness, of looking for those special comers whom they can spend "30 Lives" with or whom they could call on to help see through the gunk to the bright stars, up there somewhere."
Originally, from Connecticut, the black hole for tours between New York City and Boston, Agent Bishop Booking Agency’s “Agent Bishop” moved to Boston in 2003 to attend Northeastern University and kick start his career in the music industry. While attending college, Agent Bishop bought himself a bass starter kit. Within 5 months, he knew he’d make more money selling the instrument than playing it, so he set his sights on booking instead. He explains, “I started booking national tours, then switched to [booking] locally, before settling on Boston alone.” Although they work with a number of venues in town, such as Harper’s Ferry and Great Scott, the Agent Bishop Booking Agency tends to book regularly at Café 939 and Church of Boston. Since he started his booking career, 75% of Agent Bishop’s concerts have either sold out or have had at least 200 people in attendance. This kind of track record has caused a number of publications to take notice, including The Weekly Dig, The Metro, Boston Band Crush, and Ryan’s Smashing Life, who have written up previews or reviews of Agent Bishop’s shows.
Agent Bishop managed to squeeze in a little time in between booking and promoting Boston’s finest bands, including This Blue Heaven, Sarah RabDAU, and Green Light Go’s own Neutral Uke Hotel and The Motion Sick, to tell us what it’s like to be on the other side:
Green Light Go: What is the day-to-day like as a booking agent?
Agent Bishop: I’ve taken a different approach to booking. I book one show a month, that’s it. I feel that bookers in the Boston area spread themselves too thin; they just grab bands and throw them together to [make a profit]. That may work at first, and the venues may love it, but how does that help the scene [evolve]?
I plan my shows months in advance. I pick bands that I would want to see together, bands that can help the club grow, bands I can learn from, and bands that will cause fans to say, “I can’t miss this show!” With a month to plan I can properly devote my time to promotion and marketing. What I’ve learned is that the more time I give press, the more likely I am to get coverage.
I send out my press releases and posters three weeks before a show and I’ll usually follow up via email (or personally) within a week or two of the shows. A personal touch has worked well for me. Whether a press contact gives the show coverage or not, they are on the list…that is my general rule.
GLG: Since Agent Bishop is based in Boston, is that your central market in terms of booking, or do you book national or international shows as well?
AB: I’ve had my taste of booking nationally and I’ve even managed tours while travelling internationally, but I’ve come to the conclusion that I should target a local scene. Boston is a growing market and I want Boston to be a target stop for agencies. I believe that it’s the market’s responsibility to build that confidence.
GLG: What are some of the most noteworthy artists you are currently working with or you've worked with in the past?
AB: Over the years I’ve worked with Jason Mraz, Head Automatica, O.A.R., My Chemical Romance, and TheFutureheads, in terms of promotion and marketing. In terms of booking, I’ve worked with nationally touring acts HUMANWINE, Inoia, (Green Light Go's) The Motion Sick and Do Not Forsake Me, Oh My Darling, and I even did a stint with The Warped Tour.
GLG: What is the best piece of advice you’d give a band that thinks they are ready to head out on the road for a tour?
AB: First, expect to lose money. Tours are money pits. Between renting a car and buying gas, food, and alcohol (we all know that’s part of the equation), a band has to expect to pay what they would for a vacation. A tour is just a vacation that requires you to work. With that in mind, don’t be afraid to ask friends, family, venues, or fans for a place to stay. If you want to save money, look for that third cousin, aunt, or college roommate you barely speak to anymore. Also, when negotiating shows, see if the venue is willing to put you up as part of the deal. Often times, booking agents are more than happy to offer you a place to crash. The same goes for fans.
A band also needs to map their route carefully, put in the work to promote their own shows, bring enough merch, and LOCK THE VAN! I can’t tell you how many of my colleagues have gone on tour and have had their gear stolen. Also, be aware of health coverage. Some bands have members with full-time jobs, but most don’t. If you’re injured on the road and don’t have coverage, that can be the end of the tour and the beginning of years of debt. There are websites designed to help musicians without health care, like Rock For Health, so read them.
Finally, document as much as you can. Every band expects to make it big, so packing up the van and hitting the road is the first step to realizing that dream. In the age where social media rules, fans want to experience life on the road along with the band (after all, they’re stuck behind a desk while you're out living the dream, right?). If a fan can relate to you, they’ll want to support you.
GLG: What is the best thing about booking shows? What challenges do you face as a booking agent?
AB: The best thing is seeing a show sell out, because that means I did my research and followed my instincts. When you believe in something strongly, the results will follow.
Even if a show hasn’t sold out, if I can look around the room and see people smile, or talk to someone afterward and hear them say, “That was an amazing show,” I go home happy. I also want to note that one of the reasons why I love booking all ages shows is because parents bring their kids. Kids have no inhibitions and they’re just as happy watching a show as they are running around in a circles dancing or pretending to be a ballerina. I could have 30 people at a show, and if I saw a group of kids loving the music they are listening to, I leave with a smile.
One of the challenges is finding the right mix of bands. I look for bands that people haven’t seen on stage together before, or bands that will make the fan look at the bill and say, “Wow, why hasn’t anyone put these guys together?!” The whole reason I started booking was because I thought clubs didn’t know who to put on a bill. It’s a delicate balance to find bands that fit together, but don’t sound exactly the same. When I can find that balance, everyone wins.
GLG: In addition to the bands you are working with, what current albums have you been listening to lately?
AB: I’ve been listening to Hey Marseilles’ To Travels and Trunks, Good Old War’s Only Way To Be Alone, Kingsley Flood’s Dust Windows, Aloud’s Exile, and Apollo Run’s Here Be Dragons. Volume 1.
The Other Side highlights the talented folks behind the scenes of the music we listen to. The Other Side features producers, engineers, booking agents, photographers, radio DJs, management teams, and label representatives.
This week’s The Other Side is brought to you by: Lauren Roberts
Librarians really know how to party. At least those employed by the Michael J Epstein Memorial Library do. MJEML is the latest project from The Motion Sick front man Michael J Epstein, and all ten of the librarians will share the stage with Walter Sickert & The Army of Broken Toys; who are known for their carnival-esque stage shows featuring performers ranging from fire-eaters to contortionists; and Garvy J, a founding member of The Elevator Drops, former member of The Rentals and co-producer of the latest Devo record. This show, where audience members are unlikely to be shushed, will be at The Magic Room on Friday, November 12th.
The Michael J. Epstein Memorial Library was formed when Epstein began recruiting band members on Facebook and Craigslist “Most are intentionally people that I didn’t previously know very well. I wanted people with fresh perspectives and few prior expectations about the operation of a band and about how the music scene and music industry works.” This unusual ensemble plays not only your standard acoustic guitar, drums and bass; but also ukulele, flute, trumpet, glockenspiel, melodica, viola, violin and more. The project was designed to be flexible, with any number of participants making up the line-up on any given occasion. “We’re just going to play some songs and have fun. The project is … flexible enough for me to play solo or small shows and also diverse enough to do bigger shows,” says Epstein.
Michael J Epstein Memorial Library Friday, November 12 The Magic Room 155 North Beacon Street, Brighton, MA 617-775-4009 Also on the bill: Walter Sickert & The Army of Broken Toys and Garvy J. Click Here to Read More..
Michael Epstein has his hand in a lot of things, so it’s not peculiar that he should be playing in two different bands on the same bill. This time around he’s debuting a new project, The Michael J Epstein Memorial Library and playing baritone ukulele in Neutral Uke Hotel September 11th at Café 939.
The Michael J. Epstein Memorial Library was formed when Epstein began recruiting band members on Facebook and Craigslist. “Most are intentionally people that I didn’t previously know very well. I wanted people with fresh perspectives and few prior expectations about the operation of a band and about how the music scene and music industry works.” The group numbers ten total: nine women and Epstein. He describes their sound as “Downtempo, indie folk/pop with alt-country and anti/counterfolk tinges”. Intrigued yet? You should be. Because everything Epstein does is designed to be interesting.
Neutral Uke Hotel have been playing sold out shows to enthusiastic crowds who were encouraged to sing along, and they haven’t been shy. Shawn Fogel (vocals, ukulele), Josh Cohen (melodica), Matt Girard (trumpet), along with Epstein, play the classic Neutral Milk Hotel album, In the Aeroplane Over The Sea from start to finish in a stripped down way that makes it that much easier for the audience to shout their favorite album’s lyrics.
Epstein’s band, The Motion Sick, recently played a Boston show entitled “The Rock Primary”, which was promoted by a series of campaign, scandal and faked press videos featuring the all the bands on the bill. Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling, another of Epstein’s musical projects, is inspired by the 60s spy show The Prisoner. Their EP, The New Number 2 features a song each for five of the show’s episodes.
Neutral Uke Hotel and Michael J Epstein Memorial Library Saturday, September 11th Café 939 939 Boylston Street, Boston, MA Doors: 7:30 PM Show: 8:00 PM Tickets: $10Click Here to Read More..
"The Distance Calls is an album that could very well be thrown into a mix along the lines of any given Fairweather release, and would be able to hold its ground with no struggle whatsoever. The guy has a talent and an acoustic swagger that is undeniably real."
"The best part? Nathan combines a singer-songwriter sound— that which you’d never brag about enjoying to your pals— with a touch of ’70s-influenced rock ‘n’ roll that relieves any worries about losing your, um, man card." Boston Band Crush and Cheap Thrills Boston preview The Motion Sick's Rock Primary Show
"Her intensely personal lyrics and the trademark sweetness in her voice invite the listener into her world, which is supported by a soundtrack of indie pop and rock." Click Here to Read More..
Neutral Uke Hotel, who have been taking the world by storm with their live performances of Neutral Milk Hotel’s In the Aeroplane Over the Sea, are about to embark on a 12-city tour beginning August 16th in Cleveland. Neutral Uke Hotel isn’t your average cover band; they play this beloved album entirely on ukulele, giving the original songs a fresh, new upbeat take. Road trip anyone?
The group, made up of Shawn Fogel (vocals, ukulele), Josh Cohen (melodica), Matt Girard (trumpet), andMichael J. Epstein(baritone ukulele), have been playing sold out shows to enthusiastic crowds who are encouraged to sing along. Epstein, who also fronts The Motion Sick, said, “People were encouraged to sing, clap, and stomp along...and they weren't shy!”
Never fear, avid Neutral Milk Hotel fans, Fogel, front man of Golden Bloom, and the rest of Neutral Uke are quite reverential for Jeff Mangum’s classic. Fogel says of this project, “It’s one of my favorite records ever, and the album doesn’t just have fans. The people who love that album are obsessed with it…. The goal of the project: [is] to strip these songs down and get people in a room to share their love for this album.’’
Neutral Uke Hotel Tour Dates
8/16 Grog Shop, Cleveland, OH
8/17 Blind Pig, Ann Arbor, MI
8/18 Southgate HouseCincinnati, OH
8/20 Gabe's, Iowa City, IA
8/21 Kitty Cat Klub, Minneapolis, MN
8/22 The Frequency, Madison, WI
8/23/ Cosmic Charlie's, Lexington, KY
8/24 Treehouse, Columbus, OH
8/25 Mid City Caffé, Washington, DC
8/29 Luckey's, Eugene, OR
8/30 Mississippi Studios, Portland, OR
8/31 The Sunset, Seattle, WA Click Here to Read More..
Welcome our third Guest Blogger, Michael J. Epstein of The Motion Sick, Neutral Uke Hotel, The Michael J. Epstein Memorial Library, and Do Not Foresake Me Oh My Darling. I'm out of breath. Epstein is a man who wears a mustache well and never gets sick of the same joke. Epstein has a fantastic sense of humor, knows what he likes and like many of us, loves pop culture. We here at GLG support our artists and all their unique personalities and talents. For his stint as a Guest Blogger, Epstein has chose to write a monthly blog post about retro sci-fi movies, b-movies and barbarians. Maybe he'll find out why every sci-fi movie in the '60s and '70s thought everyone in the future wore white and had acrylic furniture. And now... Lasers, Longswords, and Lipstick Guns
An Ode to Barbarella - An Angel in Love
"Hello fearless licorice lovers! For years, I've done my very best to mask my 'unpopular' interests to prevent their prominence from overtaking my songwriting. It has been nigh impossible to stop a mention from sneaking out here and there. Now, these years of suppression must end before I explode! Welcome to Lasers, Longswords, and Lipstick Guns; an opportunity for me to implore you to see the very best and/or the very worst sci-fi (lasers), barbarian (longswords), and spy (lipstick guns) movies and perhaps even tie in ways that they've influenced my music or style."
"I feel obligated to start with one of my favorite movies of all time, 1968's Barbarella. The film is absolutely the cream of the crop of sci-fi camp. It's bubbling with the sexual revolution of the '60s, plus lava lamps, shag carpets, and every nerd's favorite: a zero gravity striptease. The props are bizarre, the characters absurd, and the settings are extremely imaginative. Perhaps the best element of the entire movie is its absolutely brilliant sound design. Both the original music composed and recorded for the soundtrack and the sound effects really carry the movie through the silliness. The actors, particularly Jane Fonda, take every moment totally seriously and really sell the absurd snapshot of the '60s very effectively. Heck, the movie contains carnivorous dolls, a musical instrument that produces deadly orgasms, a blind angel, and a death ray. If you haven’t, why haven't you seen it yet?!?!?!
Barbarella even ties in with some musical endeavors of mine. Several years ago, when I was working on odd, ambient pieces under the name Entropical Utopia, I took lots of samples of the dialogue and the sound effects from Barbarella. My favorite song from that time period, ‘An Angel Has No Memory,’ takes advantage of the strange final line of the film. Other favorite voice samples included; 'It will be the end, the apocalypse' and 'You who have chosen to die, be welcome! To terminate the bitterness of life, you are entitled to select from three exciting and surprising forms of death.' Really, I loved using any old sound bite about the 'positronic ray' and how its victims are 'de-minimalized to the fourth level.'
The movie also has influenced some of my more current work. When preparing for our first Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling photo shoot, my partner Sophia gave the make-up artist a photo of Jane Fonda as Barbarella for reference. Sophia mentioned this in a recent interview she did about her fashion choices for New Brahmin . In a twist of fate Sophia's mention of Barbarella sparked an anonymous fan to create a Facebook page encouraging the producers to cast Sophia in the pending remake of the film!
Each Wednesday (well, you know how musicians are, so maybe every other Wednesday....) the GLG blog will treat you to a Guest Blogger pulled from our creative group of artists who have a lot to say. All the time. Click Here to Read More..
Neutral Uke Hotel are almost done with their spring tour.... but don't get your indie rock tear ducts ready... we are hoping for some more dates this summer. Made up of members of Golden Bloom and The Motion Sick, GLG had the ultimate (and sometimes way too much fun) experience of attending Toronto's NXNE where Shawn Fogel, Mike Epstein, Matt Girard, Josh Cohen, Andrew Laubacher played to a few crowds including Friday evening's fans who literally sang every word to every Neutral Milk Hotel song. There was no way to be at this show and not smile. As a side note, while this Favorite Friday might not make sense to everybody, if team GLG (and our host Kristin) ever needs to smile, we can all look back at this list. The order is of no importance. Everything is equally as amusing. All in all, this list just shows you how much fun these guys are having playing Neutral Milk Hotel songs for enthusiastic fans. It's all about the fun.
Favorite Inside Jokes from Neutral Uke Hotel's June Tour
1. "Seth Rogen - No one knew he played ukulele."
2. "Out of the way, Mark Messier! - Real Americans coming through."
3. "Let me licorice..." (In the Aeroplane Over the Sunn O))))
4. "Ohh Doh Dee Doh Dee Doh Der" - Andrew's awesome Canadian accent.
5. "We gon' sip Bacardi, like it's your birfday" - A combination of Bacardi and fluorescent colours.
6. "I love little baby ducks ... and onions."
7. Surfer Blood. That's it, just Surfer Blood.
8. 11/05/1955 - "The only problem with that t-shirt is it has the day, month, and year on it."
9. "Is this song on YouTube? Because I'm not going to buy it."
10. Pudding Ball - Just when you thought the World Cup couldn't get any better.
11. Naan-Sequitur- Indian breads and random comments made fresh daily.
12. Xxtra Kredit -Boston's premeire polite-core band featuring International hit-single "Do Your Homework Before You Watch TV") (editors note: "Do your homework!")
13. "As long as I don't see Shawn in his underwear..." (So much for that golden rule)
Want more of NUH from NXNE? Yeah, you do. Here is some 'behind the scenes' footage of La Blogotheque"Take Away Show" taping. (Sorry about the giggle) and a live video we shot of NUH's performing "Holland, 1945" at their Friday night gig at The Painted Lady.
Each Friday, hence the name Favorite Friday - one GLG band/artist will send us a list and comments about their "favorites" of the week. It could be a list of albums they are listening to in the van, books they are reading, guilty pleasure TV, and so on. We hope these various "favorites" will give you unique glimpse into the lives of our bands.Click Here to Read More..
In honor of NXNE this week we are giving you a few mp3s of showcasing bands on the GLG roster. Feel free to post any of the approved songs below on your blog or tweet to your friends. Not on our email list to receive these directly and want to be? Send an email over to info(at)greenlightgopublicity.com
I hesitate to use the word buzz, but for lack of a better word to describe the rabid fan base that's developing around Shawn Fogel's side project, Neutral Uke Hotel, I feel I must. And why wouldn't there be a rabid fan base when a musician announces they will perform Neutral Milk Hotel's pinnacle album,In the Aeroplane Over the Sea live in it's entirety? On ukulele. Only forming a few months ago, in late April, Neutral Uke Hotel already has 2,716 fans who have determined they do indeed "like" the band. One has even posted on Craig's List, trying to find someone to go to the Mercury Lounge show on June 15th where NUH appears with The Handsome Family. So it came of no surprise to us that NXNE would add a second Neutral Uke Hotel show to their lineup. If you are in Toronto on Friday, June 18th head on over to Yonge Dundas Square at 2pm to catch NUH on the Bacardi Dock stage.
And if you haven't heard of Shawn's original band, Golden Bloom, don't hesitate to check out the insanely catchy melodies on Saturday night at 9pm at Czehoski.
For full tour dates
Neutral Uke Hotel Tour Dates:
Tuesday, 6/15 - Mercury Lounge - New York, NY (with The Handsome Family)
Wednesday, 6/16 - Rongovian Embassy - Trumansburg, NY Friday, 6/18-NXNE - Bacarda Dock in Yonge Dundas Square,-Toronto ON
Friday, 6/18 - NXNE -The Painted Lady- Toronto, ON
Sunday, 6/20 - Mohawk Place - Buffalo, NY
Tuesday, 6/22 - The Khyber - Philadelphia, PA
Wednesday, 6/23 - Acoustic Cafe - Bridgeport, CT
Friday, 6/25 - The Basement - Northampton, MA
"Thank You, Good Night" takes a birds eye view of what it's like for a band to play a show that can only described as a pinnacle experience for the band themselves. In Part 2 of the debut Netural Uke Hotel show at the Arts at the Armory, Mike Epstein shares his experience.
Mike Epstein, lead singer of The Motion Sick and enthusiastic "Thumbs Up" guy on Facebook, had as much fun playing with Shawn Fogel as part of Neutral Uke Hotel as the audience did watching it. He was also completely terrified and nervous up to the night of the show. He had to learn to play the ukulele and fast. For "Thank You, Good Night," Mike described the evening events in his own words. We've also included a live video of his performance and even more description of what Mike is doing for the love of Neutral Milk Hotel.
"When Shawn asked if I wanted to participate in any way in Neutral Uke Hotel... I was immediately terrified. I can't say that I considered the idea much less than blasphemous. Nonetheless, I am a big fan of Golden Bloomand I thought, if anyone can pull this off, Shawn is it. So, I pondered how I might contribute and asked if I could play an outtake from Aeroplane. I thought it would be a nice way to take part without breaking or altering the flow of the record by changing singers.
So, I borrowed a ukulele from my bud J-Krafty (the number one arts and crafts gangsta rapper in the world) and took to learning, "Oh Sister," an unreleased sequel to "Oh Comely." I had an extremely hard time memorizing all of the lyrics (though I only fumbled a couple of words at the show) and an even harder time trying to decide how to deliver the song. The two existing recordings contain somewhat different lyrics and very different melodic delivery. I did my best to learn to play the song in a form that captured the simple melodic beauty coupled with the harsh, grated strains and the chaos of the song.
As for the rest of the show, Shawn kindly agreed to have me strum along to a bunch of other songs. I would have done even more, but I didn't have the time to learn them all on an unfamiliar instrument."
I was really looking forward to the show, but great trepidation remained. Would the sold-out audience react by taking offense? Would they understand the spirit of the project? Shawn made it clear at the beginning of the show that it was not about a band/audience delineation. We were all there to celebrate music that had deep and powerful meaning. People were encouraged to sing, clap, and stomp along...and they weren't shy!
The set began and I watched everyone in the room breaking out in smiles. By the time the instrumental break "The Fool" rolled around, it was obvious that every single person in the room was rapt. We had all been waiting a decade to catch NMH live, and NUH provided a way for a group of devotees to join together to quell the anticipation and desire, the magic and the beauty of Aeroplane.
It was amazing not only to hear the music come alive, but to watch the audience reactions. Just as (Jeff) Mangum's lyrics celebrate the immortality of beauty, dreams, and love, they teach us that there is nothing in this world for the pure of heart to fear.
I should have known all along that the show would be nothing short of magical and that the experience of merging performance and audience would be achieved. I am extremely honored to have taken part in it and I hope to get to experience it again."
Tickets are all sold out for Shawn Fogel/Golden Bloom's evening of Neutral Uke Hotel this Friday, May 7 in Somerville, MA. We all know Fogel's gone uke crazy and we're not the only ones taking the instrument more seriously.
The Motion Sick's Michael Epstein and Fogel have collaborated many times and a little birdie (named Michael) told us he's going to make a special appearance at the Neutral Uke Hotel. The thing is, he needs to learn how to play the tiny guitar first. So he thought he'd give another seminal indie band a ukulele spin. Epstein decided that he'd learn to play by converting songs by The Magnetic Fields onto the ukulele. Epstein has captured many of his sessions on live video and shared us the links to see a handful of the videos.
Here's our favorite (today): The Magnetic Fields' "All the Umbrellas in London" Click Here to Read More..
People love to videotape stuff. They really, really love to take videos. And today, it's easier and quicker than ever to do so. It's simple to take a video of your child riding a bike or perhaps many montages of dogs in wheelchairs. Yes, dogs in wheelchairs. People also love to "create" videos, edit it themselves and add music. So where are going with all this?
It seems people have been infected by the catchy tunes of The Motion Sick, and dozens of them are using the band's songs to play over candid footage and video montages that they then of course load onto the Internet. Motion Sick's lead singer Mike Epstein is no stranger to placing music in the right place - he runs the Boston-based Launch Over; a company that handles music licensing, publishing and strategy consulting.
"I've actually got about 50 more videos that I need to post," muses Epstein. It's crazy how much stuff there is out there. They only very recently opened up their searching function to include the fingerprinted music, which is why I am only now becoming aware of all these videos with our music in them. It seems like I find at least 2 or 3 more every day and I don't really spend time digging back too far, so there are probably even more than I've found. I will probably someday have to hire an intern just to post all these videos!"
The current stream of videos Epstein is stumbling upon are all very, well, unique. Some are even kind of creepy. People just love to take the music of The Motion Sick and lay it as soundtrack to their home/created videos. There are so many, Epstein had to create a blog to showcase them all. It's appropriately called Strange Videos and The Motion Sick, Epstein is finding more and more videos every single day. It's a little insane. Some of the videos are almost too weird to even talk about, while other's are cute as a button; like the mentioned little kid on a bike set to The Motion Sick's rollicking song "Winged Bicycle." And then there's the really odd video of Barbies-turned-into real life girls dancing "The Barbie" along to The Motion Sick's "Grace Kelly." It makes absolutely no sense, and it is absolutely worth watching.
"30 Lives" has taken on a life of its own being used in Dance Dance Revolution. There's more than a dozen videos featuring the fun song. One of our favorites is for a exercising DVD called "Cardio for Indie Rockers." Don't ask us why the ladies look absolutely nothing like what an "indie rocker" is supposed to. Or why they have to pretend they are jump roping instead of using an actual jump rope. Watch it, learn some moves to "30 Lives" and shed those pounds (and fishnet knee highs)!
Epstein's personal favorite use of "30 Lives" is a live video from a couple's first dance at their wedding. The newlyweds choreographed it and freestyle to The Motion Sick on the most important day of their lives. It's so cute that Epstein dubbed it "The Greatest Video Ever in the History of Videos Featuring The Motion Sick." Congratulations to Andrew and Cat.
The Motion Sick join a stirring evening of music on Wednesday, May 19th at The Middle East in Cambridge, MA alongside Visqueen, John Shade and “The Hark! Philharmonic" (Conducted by Christopher Pappas).
Fresh off their online release of Novelty Songs: Volume One, the Motion Sick will no doubt play their pop tunes from last year’s endearing album The Truth Will Catch You, Just Wait... and most likely some surprises too. The band shares the stage with Seattle’s female-fronted rock group Visqueen, who has garnered praise everywhere from Rolling Stone, Paste and NPR for their 2009 release Message to Garcia. Visqueen lead singer Rachel Flotard has worked with Neko Case and much like the Motion Sick’s own Michael Epstein, she too has a flurry of an assortment of talents to share with the audience. Visqueen and the Motion Sick are joined by John Shade and “The Hark! Philharmonic,” conducted by Christopher Pappas.
May 19, 2010 The Middle East, Downstairs 480 Mass Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139 18+ $10adv/$12 door Doors 8:45 pm The Motion Sick Show Time 9 pm
Oh, you ironic, pop culture loving men of The Motion Sick. As if you're regular music wasn't enough for us to bop our heads to, you go and write songs about mustaches and Aquaman and you expect us to NOT love it?
With the 4-song EP Novelty Songs: Volume One, could the band be hinting at a series of "silly songs" in the future? We can only hope.
Novelty Songs is now available for purchase via download on the band's website for only $3.50 (you can also get it on iTunes). The "novelty" tracks include "Surfin' Retiree," "Tennis Pro," Aquaman's Lament," and "I Grew A Mustache."
Head over to The Motion Sick's website and you can get a short taste of each song for free. But trust us, seriously......a song about Aquaman and his poor excuse for being a super hero. You almost feel bad for the fish-loving guy.
Oh, and you thought the band's video footage for "I Grew a Mustache" was good. The Motion Sick presents "Aquaman's Lament" in a mashed-up video montage of cartoon clips.
Boy/Girl duos seem to be all the rage these days: She and Him, GLG's own Naked Hearts, and now Michael Epstein, lead singer for The Motion Sick, is joining this growing trend. And we like this trend...if that's what it is.
For this new venture Epstein puts down the guitar and takes up the bass alongside his own darling, singer/drummer Sophia Cacciola, for the duo Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling.
This is no ordinary album or band; its references to a cult British television series will mostly likely be lost on Americans, but it's still marvelous music, even if you don't exactly know what spies they're singing about. Epstein and Cacciola have found an innovative way to put the classic sci-fi drama The Prisoner (which was only on TV from 19670 - 1968) into a musical form on their debut EP, The New Number 2. Two words. Awe-some.
The Boston Globe recently interviewed Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling about their new EP, and their admiration for the bizarre TV show they have based this project around. Read the entire interview, with both members, on The Boston Globe's website. On the duo's site you can check out the hard-rocking track "Episode 1: The Arrival."
I mean really, how can you go wrong with songs about a British secret agent?
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Boston’s own, The Motion Sick, are full of pride that they will share the stage with celebrated British rousing indie band, The Wedding Present, on Monday, April 12 at the Middle East Downstairs in Cambridge, Mass. The Motion Sick will play charming pop songs from their 2008 release The Truth Will Catch You, Just Wait... and most likely a lot of new quirky gems.
Lead singer Mike Epstein is on cloud nine to open for the ‘80s below the radar, but indie-rock legends the Wedding Present; a band whose wiry guitars have influenced him throughout his career. The Wedding Present will be playing their 1989 album Bizarro in its entirety.
“From the moment in high school when I first heard the early work of the Wedding Present, David Gedge's unique takes on love, revenge, and social commentary hit me quite profoundly,” says Epstein. “In college, I was extremely pleased to gain access to some of the amazing Peel Sessions and get a chance to hear great, wry songs like,
Why Are You Being So Reasonable Now?’ I was even more delighted when the band's later work continued to be great. In fact, 1996's ‘Jet Girl’ remains one of my favorite songs by the band. It is such a great honor to share the stage with a songwriter that I've admired for so long.”
Mon Apr 12, 2010:
The Middle East Downstairs -
472 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA
18+, Cover: $12, Door Time 7:30pm
The Wedding Present play Bizarro, w/ The Motion Sick and Girl In A Coma
Get you tickets in person at the Middle East Box Office - 1pm to 7pm, seven days a week -- without service charge or buy them online before they sell out!
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The Motion Sick's goofy song "I Grew a Mustache" has been set to a video that is too hilarious not to watch. A montage of the famous and non who choose the risky facial hair of the mustache flow along to the quirky song, which comes from their EP Novelty Songs: Volume One. Who doesn't want to how simply having a mustache makes Tom Selleck, Hulk Hogan and Sigmund Freud earn extra cool points?
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