This is off their above-titled release, but I gotta say the whole CD is good listening. CD photography is cool and the design was done by the drummer Marc Cazorla and the mix was done by the bassist Alex Stiff. Hard work, good rewards. So on that note (see what I did there?)… you can laugh now. Turn it up, I dare you not to start bobbing your head- seriously.
More Kudos:
Segar – the pup and well, yeah because animals rock. TRC Studios – Alex Stiff Concord Music Group – Paul Blakemore
Well another holiday season has gone by. A very busy time of year in both a wonderful way and “I’m ready for the end of the holidays” kind of way. I wanted to get in a post about a band we saw back on November 20, Hoots and Hellmouth. Another band I’d highly recommend seeing if you get the chance. High energy and greatly entertaining, they play a combination of Americana, rock ,country and a bit of folk sound rolled together. Their show held my attention from start to finish. I’ve added some pictures from the show and a video to give you a taste of the show.
I’d also like to add how much I enjoy seeing shows at the Musikfest Cafe in Bethlehem. The views of the stage and the sound are amazing. The people who work there are helpful and friendly and the crowds are attentive and enthusiastic. Really look forward to seeing another show there in the near future.
As for ChurchHouse Productions, 2016 ended up being a somewhat slow year for us. A lot of outside distractions, both good and bad kept us out of the studio a lot more than we’d like. But there are a lot of irons in the fire for 2017, recordings being prepped for release, videos being finished and the hope for some collaborations with other artists. 2017 looks to be a strange and unsettling year for America, but sometimes that type of atmosphere produces the best art. Hoping the best for everybody this year.
I had the pleasure of seeing The Steel Wheels at the Musikfest Cafe in Bethlehem, PA on September 9th. One of the best shows I’ve seen in a long time. The band is an amazing group of musicians playing riveting and fun Americana. I’ve always loved listening to a variety of different styles of music and have played and recorded a lot of different types over the years. Over the last couple of years Americana and bluegrass has exerted a pull on me the same way punk and post-punk did years ago. The Steel Wheels show had all the points I love in that style. The instrumentation’s sonic mix is wonderful. Each instrument has it’s own voice and blends together like a vocal choir. As a result, the instruments don’t step on each other and can each be heard clearly even when everyone’s playing at full throttle. Standup Bass, guitar, banjo, fiddle and mandolin is a great mix. No real need for percussion since the style played is so rhythmic. The band also had incredible vocals and harmonies. For someone who is in to recording and sonics I loved that all the vocals were done live on one mic. The sound mix is controlled by the musicians by where they stand in relation to the mic and how much volume they give to their part. That’s not an easy thing to do, especially live. The Steel Wheels nailed it and the result gave you chills in the best possible way.
I’ve added some photos from the show and a few links to videos below. If you ever have a chance to see the band live or buy a CD I highly recommend it.
If you are cruising around the sites, just an FYI this blog will now be the official site for ChurchHouse Productions and the other site (Velvet Wrinkle Wreckerds) is getting some work done. If you go to either of the sites and things are looking weird, just let me know, but more than likely it is due to switching things around and will go back to normal soon. Hope everyone is enjoying Spring!!!! 🙂
The Gun Club – this is a band that I still love to listen to and even as I get older, I can’t help but still love the way it sounds, the way it’s played, and mostly – I love doing this song. We enjoyed covering this song and have given serious thought about covering more of their songs. Without further ado – here it is again, Ghost on the Highway, or GOTH as we affectionately refer to it.
ChurchHouse Productions Blog 