Barblog

Let's get it started.

2008-09-16T13:29:00.000-07:00

Fotolog

2008-03-29T18:16:00.001-07:00

I really like Chachi's photo journal of our last Barbarian Jamasamabamagon: The Final Frontier. It was perfectly artistic and gave a stylized glimpse into the Voodoo Garage, like the flame of a monster's hearth through the slit in a door you pass on a busy city street. I couldn't find the proper image on the Internet to illustrate that last description.

Having such a visual record of our works, workings, and workons is really invaluable. As we grow older and our memories turn to dust bins, we should use our digicams to capture our lives.

Therefore, I propose that from now on, we take Staff Photos or Member Photos like mug shots to catalog the participants of our pagan rituals. I think we should also continue to have stylized photo journals of the events. Before we start sessions, we should take individual pictures of everyone. I see this as merely next step in our attempts to document the Jamasamabamagon. First, we created an online catalog, then we created instrumentation guides, now we should create a Fotolog.

Look Into the Mirror, Dude

2008-01-10T12:01:00.000-08:00

Friends, so inspired was I by "Gunfight" that I recorded a cover version of it today. Since we all composed it together, my interpretation of it will only be my own. I may have inadvertently veered away from your contribution to the song, or I may have inadvertently jettisoned some aspect you view important. Think of my version as a mirror on ourselves, one person's reflection of what he hears in front of him.

Read more about the song here, and then listen to it here.

It would be great if this were the first in a long tradition of Barb Tide covers.

The Voodoo Garage

2008-01-07T01:04:00.000-08:00

"The Voodoo Garage" is posted. Download either MP3 or AAC files from the MUSIC section of the site. Here's the track list:

Humpbacks
Big Spin of Life
Sand Headache
Until I Die
Mexico via San Jose
Flight of the Flagpole
Now
Package Man
Learning
Toward the Moonlight
Country Club
Last Night
The Lair's Train
Squandered the Lead
Gunfight
I Know You (Took My Bike)
Too Many Turns
Wake Up Scarlet
Firecracker
More For Me

I guess we were really saving up because together the 20 tracks are over 2 hours and 26 minutes. If you're thinking, "that's way too much for one sitting", no worries. Try nibbling on Toward the Moonlight, The Lair's Train, Squandered the Lead, or I Know You (Took My Bike) to start with. They're tasty...

As long as there has been Barbtide, there have been mysteries, such as: "Who's playing that harmonica?" or "Who's funky enough to be responsible for that bass line?". Thanks to this handy instrumentation listing (which is also linked from within the metadata of each file) we'll never wonder again. Hallelujah, yahweh.

Holiday Hambone

2008-01-02T11:32:00.001-08:00

Check out these excellent photos from the recent jam, courtesy of Chachi.

I'll try to get the tracks posted soon... stay tuned.

#455A7D... more than letters and numbers

2007-09-06T09:22:00.000-07:00

jomies,
while going through my morning 'look busy' web rotation i stumbled on this cool little utility http://chir.ag/phernalia/name-that-color/

basically, it shows you the crayola name for any color you select. pretty toight i think.

anyways, i shiet you not... first click fell on #455A7D

poice

How bout some fresh hambone?

2007-05-15T12:55:00.000-07:00

With a swirling wind, I tornado back into town with this question. And yet, even though I have just set down, I have plans to alight once more in less than a fortnight. "What brings you back, Sid?"

My answer is simple and elegant, pulsating with the wisdom of ages:

"Hambone once. Hambone twice."

Who will join this Fellowship of the Ham con Queso?

Loop it. (you should really click here)

¿Cuál canciones son sus favoritos?

2007-01-13T19:27:00.000-08:00

There are currently 92 songs posted. 92 SONGS!!! OKay, song might be too strong of a word. I should say there are 92 individual improvisational recordings, ranging in length from 57 seconds (wait stop) to 15 minutes (Cuban). These recordings have been made in a variety of places, using equipment ranging from a hand-held dictaphone to Tascam 4-tracks, to multi-channel, hi-resolution DAW interfaces. So my questions is: what makes for a good jam? Is it the location, the state-of-mind, the persons present, or the sweater Will happened to be wearing? And does everyone agree on which jams are the best? I'm curious... So, I'm proposing that everyone post their favorite jams. Try to keep your list to between 10 and 20 tracks.

Ready, set... GO!

The Force Of Our Endeavor

2006-12-18T08:42:00.000-08:00

I present you with our latest offering in the Hard Listening category: sixteen brand spanking dirrty tracks, a whopping 81 minutes, recorded in Fremont on November 24th, 2006:

TRUE
She Called Me (Between The Leaves)
When I Was A Boy
When I'm Done I'll Tell Ya
Dirrty (Dirty South...Bay)
Four Days Walk
Minor Song
Impaired
Right Turn
She Was
I See The Future
Money Maker
Can We Take The Chevy?
Tai Chi (Yakatori Johnson)
Force Of My Endeavor
Steak & Eggs (I'm Black Baby)

Who are we? Why are we here? Mommy!

2006-12-14T00:33:00.000-08:00

Recently, as I uploaded some Barb tracks to iTunes, I became confused when I attempted to categorize our band.
While I have always felt that "experimental" was the best way to describe our music (mostly in terms of our process, i.e. improvisation), I began to think that those who listen to the tracks, or perhaps some of my fellow Barbonies out there might feel differently.
So, conversation initiated.
I don't know how important it is, but well, to quote Nate: "My heart took a dump... and left a big red shit pile."
I hope this makes sense to all of you. nanana. (new favorite track)

would like to wish a Big Ol' Happy Barba

2006-12-09T17:15:00.000-08:00

rian Tide Whussup?! and howsitgoin?!

To the entire Barb Familia.

The last jambon was cooked just right, and with a little fromage and a whole lot of lovin', we may just sit down to breakfast with some new tracks before the new year (you can't rush milagros yo), which would be awsome. Nothin like a holiday on a stomach full of jambon and cheese. Let me tell you, plenty of cheese on the tracks that I've heard--especially one I like to call "Dirty South... Bay." Someone needs to check Satdog's pants because he just kept gettin' dirtier, I mean dirrtier.

Is how you feel, is how you feel. Know what I mean? Nice to add a tentacle to the jellyfish of barb, or put another way: The stinging structure, which varies according to species, but generally consists of a hollow coiled tentacle with barbs lining its surface, is unusually sonorous in the Chachifish. Somehow reminiscent of ASDIC, but not to be confused with ass-dick, that would be unfortunate.

W: gone 20-27 dec.; finals 12-13?dec.; barb bef. 20, after 27 dec. mega.

Them Bones

2006-12-07T19:55:00.000-08:00

Whar dem tracks boy?

YO, IS IT TRUE??

2006-11-16T14:16:00.000-08:00

EDIT'N AIR A BRA, B!

It's been building...

2006-09-11T10:47:00.000-07:00

The time has come for another jam... mark your calendars for Friday Nov 24. Location will be in garage of the owner of this priceless bit of facial hair:

In other news... barbtide now has a home on myspace:
http://www.myspace.com/barbtide
Noice.

Chicken Apple Sausage

2006-06-09T07:53:00.000-07:00

Why Josh gotta play Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here" e'rytime I
play some tasty chords??

Seriously, tell me why.

Summa Jam 06'

2006-05-13T13:51:00.000-07:00

sunny jams are fun. if anyone is around this summa. starting:now (May), ending:november (lets give ourselves some time to work with here) LETS DO DIS!! Post some availability to this blog here and we can getit togetha.

oh, and for the commitment challenged among us, a comment of "X" will sufficiently alert all of us to your having read the post... No Sat, Im not just talking to you.

Killa, you are beautiful.

2006-05-08T21:45:00.000-07:00

Killa is a long over-looked musical masterpiece. If you have yet to ride its wave, allow yourself three minutes and thirty seconds of happiness. Do so while you look at your stomach and ass in the mirror, or while you perform oral sex. Killa, you are beautiful. A song for the killa in all of us.

Beefcake Lando?

2006-05-04T17:21:00.000-07:00

Have you seen Josh's new Profile photo???

I'm speechless.

This goes far far far beyond all bounds of decency.

whatchalltink?

2006-05-01T14:41:00.000-07:00

[taps mic, sharp feedback] Sup Yall.

Which songs from the last jam are your current favorites? Let's hear some nominations. Post 'em.

Man, there are so many good ones...
I like Lay Down, Wedding Song, and Something On Your Mind the best right now.

Also, do you listen to jams at which you were not present? Is physical presence at a jam required to care about it?

(Update 5/8/06) I gotta admit that it is hard to get interested in a sans-Sid jam. I fight that urge, though, because I realize it's an expression of selfishness. Indeed, these jams are not about egocentric glory or competition. Listening to them is not about individuals. It's about a collective, synthetic (i.e. "from synthesis, the integration of disparate parts'') product of a group of dudes in the moment. Inherent in 'being in the moment' is a relaxation of one's Ego, one's sense of Self, and of all artificial boundaries, to be open to all possibilities. In those moments, we discover our true natures as open vessels of flowing transient sensations. Like smoke in a vase, we take on the characteristics of our experiences. Thus, these recordings are then actually the sounds of those Moments (the smoke), not the sounds of the people there. This is why the cast of any particular session or track is irrelevant to its substance and value. Every Moment we capture is worth everyone's attention. Even yours.

shoe

2006-04-29T02:12:00.000-07:00

yeah.. and here is a shoe... write a song about it.

I can hear the verse:

Your soul was tired
cuz your sole was thin
and you backed your ass up
to the garbage can

I saw the sparkle in your
glitter face,
And saw the red that
ran in the rain.

chorus:

I was the back of
the tail of the train.

Whatever I said
I never would mean.

You were the bill
on the face of a duck.

You gobble up mud
and always get fucked.

Dwip.

2006-04-27T23:34:00.000-07:00

Nyeah. So I talked to Joe Foti today, and it was cool. He was riding his new bike... said that some dude asked Joe if he could "please" have his bike. Joe said "nah."
Guy: "Gimme tha bike bitch!"
Joe rode on.
That was for everyone who always asks if I have heard from Joe. Yes. Thats whats going on with the Cobra. (for the uninitiated, the Cobra refers to Joey Cobra)

And for those who care... I can think of...uh... 4 off hand.
Old songs are in the works. And some should be available next weekend.. check back if u nyeckin and dont gimme the scrappy sonar till you smell the smoke. dubilous

Done...

2006-04-25T18:13:00.000-07:00

Nice work gentlemen. 3/20/2006 had some noice tracks, Im sorry I didnt make that jam.

I have "Done" playin right now... who is playing guit on that?

Josh, we need to get that meta data thing going.

p

lay down

2006-03-21T14:41:00.000-08:00

Was that the first time anyone ever fell asleep at Barb? My bad. I like how Josh and I almost came to blows over something, and I can't remember what it was... glad I can't remember, I already feel bad for dropping two beers. Keep me away from my right hand from now on, that thing could find alcohol anywhere. Thanks to the Lando for working so hard on the Jam and the Blog.

Blogging Makes Your Thingy Bigger

2006-03-21T14:25:00.000-08:00

Location.
I think my house worked out well as a Barbarian Tide Venue. It's in Fremont, just yards from the original location (Will's house), so no one should have a problem getting there. Further, my garage is nice until 10pm, and the sunroom is nice for nighttime sessions. This should not preclude any jams in my absence, since I'm not home all that often these days.

Two Days.
An esteemed colleague suggested that we might benefit from a 2-day BarbTide jam since (a) it has started to take much longer to set up the gear to our increasingly high standards, (b) we all have less time to just hang out and play at this age, and (c) some fatigue sets in as the excitement and adrenaline wears off. These problems would all be resolved if one of has would sack up and buy a house with an extra room for a perma-studio. Until that happens, however, we can use my house to set up on one day, play for a few hours, and then do other things. The next day, then, we can return for the playing in earnest. We'll be fresh, we'll have some material from the first day, and the new day to devote entirely to playing (not setting up). Also, if you're busy one day, you should show up the other day. Or else face the wrath of us singing about you in your absence. Hey, those are the breaks.

I add one thing to this idea. Since the garage has a 10pm cut off, and a lot of our magic occurs after 10pm, we might try this 2-day session in my sunroom. That room is free of most time restrictions. Or, in the alternative, we can just try to limit the volume (with no acoustic instruments, this should be easy) in the garage so as to avoid neighborhood complaints.

Next Time.
I shall be home next for the entire end of May. Let's plan on incorporating the ideas above into that next session. My mommy will be home then too, so we'll probably have some excellent food to soak up all the beers. I hope my mom doesn't read this and see that I've volunteered her to cook for us 2 months in advance! Oh sh*t!!!

Post comments to this (in the Comments section)!! Let's see what you think!! Blogging makes your thingy get bigger. Ask Josh.

Got to check on the new jams

2006-03-21T08:15:00.000-08:00

Looks like i missed a killer jam. Just the titles alone are peaking my interest....