Are you sure you didn't just get a copy of a Mclusky demo tape and beat them to the release?

Downloaded. I'll listen tonight or tomorrow.

Quick thoughts:

1. This sounds better than I expected. You could read that 2 different ways.

2. You sound aaangry.

3. Color me surprised on the guitar work. Well done sir. It's chunky without being over-done, the playing is pretty clean, and you seem to know when to shut up. Most people with the kind of distortion you've got on tap couldn't resist the urge to use too much of it. That disease plagued me my entire playing life, I think, until I stopped playing heavy stuff altogether. Good restraint.

4. If you don't work some more melody into a lot of these (vocal, guitar, or otherwise), they won't stand out enough. Everyone perfectly synced up on 16th notes, playing minor chords for 2 minutes, is a tough sell on its own for most folks. Either something else needs to be going on, or you fall into background music.

5. Dig the Fugazi / Faith No More riff on the choruses of Swim (the higher guitar part, sounds just like a part on the chorus of Small Victory off Angel Dust). In fact it's the Fugazi end of your sound that sits the best with me. Remember what they manage to do so well - use big ugly strokes to paint something beautiful. Work in opposition to the bass more, and less in unison... he can carry the structure, so depart a little in a way that does something interesting, maybe fleshes out the chords better. Work some soul into the structure a little, a little bit of a hook, some major chords, something, without sounding terribly different.

6. "Bird Sounds" is followed directly on my itunes by Black Oak Arkansas, which makes for a hilarious transition if I'm not paying attention.


Good work man. This is worth some more effort.

great feedback cap'n

and after hearing ourselves for the first time, we're having many of those same thoughts on our end. We are kind of amateur when it comes to being hooky so it will probably take us a while to get there... but I think you'll enjoy some of the stuff we're working on right now.

we had to ask drummer #2 to leave the band tonight.
not fun!

he took it like a champ though.

i do not like that part about bands.

Could be worse. You could be Spinal Tap.

... At least he came out of this alive.

Confirmed.

So... how was the Chicago-area gig last week?
Sorry that I missed it. The weather, as you know, sucked a bag full of skanky donkey balls.

How did El Diablo con Bass handle the sitch?

it was awesome.
the brokedowns were a little nervous because there was an apocalypse hoboken reunion in the city. but i think the weather kept most of their fans in the elgin area, at least it appeared to be a great turnout to me.

i think we'll be coming again in a couple months to play a loft somewhere in chicago... wicker park area? i don't know the city well, that sounds right to me

he was all good. we combined efforts to write a nice script that prevented the situation from going too far south.

dude, my alter ego should tour with you

i just need to buy a piano

and quit my job

Give us advance notice again and hopefully I will make it this time. I would love to see y'all play. Just as long as the weather holds up.

Glad you had a good gig.

two drummers?

what are you ... .38 special?

naw. only one at a time.

Drummer #1 was on the recording and played 1 show with us, before moving to LA.
Drummer #2, played 5 shows.
Now we are on drummer #3.

consecutive, not concurrent...gotcha

thanks for the clarification, ms

When I saw Fugazi on tour in '98, they featured two drummers. & a gong.

Good times.

After four years we finally have our first physical release.



you can purchase it here.
http://bigactionrecords.bandcamp.com/al ... unds-new-7

you could steal it here.
http://www.mediafire.com/?77d5cszfmk6g3q3

350 copies all hand printed by the band.

here's a review
http://www.reviler.org/2012/05/23/bird- ... ep-review/

and a story lrr wrote
http://blogs.citypages.com/gimmenoise/2 ... 7_inch.php

also interesting... drummer #3 is moving to vermont next month and we are going full circle back to drummer #1

Drummers and drama. Peas in a pod.

I'll have to order one of these suckers, Semke. It sounds good.

john "stumpy" pepys?

#1, eh? I didn't see that coming. Good luck to #3, though. My first thought when I heard he was moving was that you finally got the 7" out.

If #1 hadn't conveniently moved back here I assume we would have thrown the towel in on Bird Sounds and started a whole new band. But we def don't want to sit on another pile of records.