i’m playing drums for four letter lie again but this time on the road! swing by if we are coming to a show near you!
April 29, 2010
touring with four letter lie
February 2, 2010
timothy java drumming on “rise, start, go!” by modernsextrash
when modernsextrash found its core members and the group began to gell as musicians “rise, start, go!” was our first crack at huddling together in a rehearsal studio and manifesting music. although a little more raw and live than the first release and where the band is currently going musically, i feel there is a sense of excitement and nervousness in these tracks that makes them pretty special! i hope it was obvious and people enjoyed the fact that we were total NOOBS!
you can see how my personal n00bery and drumming has evolved by viewing some more recent rehearsal footage of “rise, start, go!” on my youtube page.
ps – this video for “thing” goes out to my man john waltmann of four letter lie and 2012 threads. it’s his favorite (so far) modernsextrash song and for the last few years john has become a favorite dude of mine.
December 19, 2009
Ourstage and The Next Electronic Prodigy modernsextrash
pic from ourstage.com
Ourstage.com recently added modernsextrash to their playlist for a blog post entitled “The Next Electronic Prodigy.” By using the British act “The Prodigy” and the release of their new record “Invaders Must Die” (which also features Dave Grohl) as an example of just how powerful artists in the electronic niche can be, @ourstage has some great things to say about new artists finding success within their site. Ourstage more recently included us in yet another blog post entitled “Hey! You Got Electronica in my Rock Music!” modernsextrash is included in audio examples on their playlist.
Ourstage has been one of my favorite sites to reach new fans on. It takes the cake for one of the most interactive and personally rewarding promotional tools for any band looking to connect with lots and lots of artists or possible fans in the DIY realm.
As of november 29th, modernsextrash is the 8th most popular fan club in the experimental category. Check out the modernsextrash fan club to see Ourstage.com in action.
November 22, 2009
jamie maldonado photography featuring modernsextrash
throughout the establishing year of the band, we had the privilege of hooking up with photography guru and information technologically savvy jamie maldonado in order to capture both live moments and press shots.
i found Jamie on myspace by searching for photographers in minneapolis and you can imagine the options that were thrown at me. however, jamie’s digital presence and obvious passion for photography in his work grabbed me much quicker than the rest along with his quick response and work ethic with taking the 414 soundbar gig at the last minute. Unfortunately, the lighting scenario of the club made things difficult for any photographer. but with a jimmy rigging that would make macgyver proud, jamie used a make shift, low level flash device, or modified snoot for the photographers, to capture the action.
our 2nd live show with jamie took place at envy nightclub and made up for the technically challenging environment of the 1st show. having longer than a 20 minute set allowed more time to adapt to his surroundings and really capture some wonderfully colored close ups on a much better make shift stage. check out his tactics and tips used in creating these beautiful live moments.
our latest work with jamie maldonado featured press shots of the band and captured his idea of “stealth band photos” to give a sense of photojournalism within the average and often cliche band photo. the set of the shoot lived in the top level suite of the gorgeous cloud 9 sky lofts in minneapolis inhabiting the old united health group headquarters now located just down the street.
follow jamie on twitter.
October 24, 2009
“a new day” by four letter lie now out on victory records
i recently had the pleasure of jamming on the new four letter lie album called “a new day” with producer matt goldman in atlanta, georgia. this is the 3rd release under victory records for these great friends of mine and i couldn’t be more stoked to help them pull this whole thing together in the amount of time that was allowed.
the reality and pressures of forcing organization upon your in the moment creativity skills is an aspect of professional music that i have both enjoyed and loathed. this pressure or stress to perform or create under the microscope can be a sure turn away for most, but if you can focus that energy into a part of the creative process often times, it kicks ass when its all said and done.
i captured some content from the earliest stages of song creation on this project which can be viewed on my youtube or vimeo page. please purchase the final album out now from itunes, amazon or order the package straight from victory to check out how the tunes evolved within a matter of a few weeks!!
April 16, 2009
New gameplay trailer for Final Fantasy XIII
screen shot from gamersyde.com
I recently had the ability to rekindle my love for video game hacking. Being out of the loop for a good 4 to 5 years can feel like a chore of catch up given the next generation of systems that have come out since my last period of gaming indulgence.
The Final Fantasy series started for me in junior high with VII like most gamers my age. These games have continued to evolve with every release since and regardless of the different ideas within the battle system or even concept or atmosphere the games bring, I have always given them a shot. Being a big fan of VII I am pleased to see the new XIII looks to take the original turn based battle mode back possibly dropping the gambit system that established XII as one of the biggest hit or miss titles in the series. Plus the atmosphere of this soon to be released title has a similar feel to VII and VIII with the visuals and attitude.
Words really do not describe how epic this title looks to be. And thank you Square Enix for releasing this title after the hefty price tag on PS3 and XBOX dropped!!!! That is right my friends, you now have a choice as its the first game in the series to let go of exclusive rights to Sony.
From repeatedly watching new gameplay footage, my favorite character so far is the guy with a baby chocobo riding in his afro. Check out additional gameplay footage at gamersyde.com.
ALSO!! There is a second title being released under the same XIII umbrella called VERSUS. Part of three Final Fantasy XIII games from Sqaure-Enix, Versus is the story of a young king sworn to defend the last crystal in the world from the “hectic order” outside of his kingdom. It’s a fight between ancient and modern techonology, and the struggle of one king to protect the old ways.
Release Day 3/9/2010
Well today is the big day… Will I join the masses complaining that the game is too linear? Or will I not give a shit and enjoy the fact that like all titles that are currently evolving to a new platform, Final Fantasy XIII is going to be the most cinematic experience yet?
What are your thoughts before and after experiencing this exciting release?
March 30, 2009
keeping my metal juices flowing with Shilid
I recently had the pleasure of meeting a group of talented and genuinely stoked musicians looking to begin their journey into the metal frontier. the band Shilid contacted me looking for drum duties on their new material and I made the trip up to northern Minnesota to get a glimpse of the action for myself.
I have always enjoyed the challenge and creative forces needed for pulling off such a powerful style of music. I have no doubt there will be more projects of this nature to come in the near future.
stay tuned!
March 26, 2009
Obama administration to aid RIAA in squeezing artists and fans dry.
March 25th update…
with the Obama Justice Department staffed by RIAA lawyers we are going to see things like massive digital service providers bowing down to aid the RIAA’s endless stubbornness in the war on piracy.
what does this mean for artists anchored to the sinking ship of record labels? maynard says it best, “learn to swim.” with all the industries money being burned up on another tactic to scare consumers into purchasing music, where will the finances come from to help the artist produce quality material you are still being forced to purchase. how can artists receive tour support to come visit you in person? and even if they do successfully battle 20 other bands on their label for a touring budget, fans don’t have much money left to support their favorite artist through ticket sales do they?
when will this be obvious to people? when will this information become a tool to conquer the corrupt power that is unfortunately ruling over the most profound human ability to create, entertain, and inspire the masses?
photo credit: Steven Fernandez
Mar 26th update…
A bit of hesitation is leaving people in a haze of questions about just how “on board” Internet Service Providers really are about this whole situation. AT&T loosely denies the words of the RIAA on USAtoday regarding their new tactic to shut down users internet service based on a 3rd strike of copyright infringement. RIAA president Carey Sherman himself has admitted to Verizon not wanting any part in the idea, but how long till will we receive a firm statement from the other ISP’s in regard to the situation?
picture taken from modernhumorist.com
April 3rd update…
Let’s just say Obama is really taking heat over the situation. Ive never been one for political categorization, and don’t really ever plan to be… This situation is exactly why. I honestly thought Obama entering office would shed some revolutionairy light on the RIAA vs The People situation. Winning a huge chunk of his votes through social networking campaigns aimed at generationY (major demographic charged by the RIAA for file sharing) would make you think his ideals would apply to the ideals of his “target audience.” But because people are just now realizing who the president has hired to pull strings for him after he has been elected makes absolutely no sense to me at all… but ultimately the most irritating thing is how people are now pointing the finger back across the isle. Republicans rubbing it in peoples faces scolding them for their decision making skills coming back to bite them in the ass now that they got their president… Cool country… When do I leave again?
April 14th update…
make that 6 RIAA representatives. According to Sound Opinion’s Greg Kot (who I am now stoked on because of his new Mastodon interview) and Jim Dero, France is now moving forward with the 3 strike penalty system. More info here.
March 12, 2009
Tom Cruise in “The Sixth Sense”
With technologies’ exponential growth turning a blind eye to economical situations and low spirits across the country, mankind begins the race for answers and a new path of convenience through life. Wether its science, religion, or a strange mix of the two led by Jerry Maguire, we must keep the key to believing in a higher power.
We must be aware of inventions like this before marketing tactics present them to us in a way that benefits them and allows us justification in rewiring our natural “sixth-sense” that houses the human soul. Imagine for a second how many strong Christian followers rely on Macintosh’s apple computer, iPod, or iPhone every day and don’t even realize the genius behind the companies branding we all recognize and relate to without hesitation.
“Belief in things invisible is not a privilege of religious people, believers, alone, but is a necessity if one is to be able to explain the world in a reasonable fashion and lead a meaningful life. An understanding of the invisible reality around us negates the usual boundaries of time and space and gives our lives significance.” From the words of Carl Welkisch.
As we Build Society for the 21st Century with online communities evolving faster than we can read the terms of agreement too, and technology that keeps us connected to fueling this growth, we must never forget our natural senses and abilities to live, learn, and make our own decision. Much like we dodge the unanswerable question and say, ” the point of life is to enjoy the ride,” maybe it is best that we do not define our “sixth-sense”. Maybe it is best that we respect it as a physical tool that brings us faster communication, material convenience and nothing more.
