"Twenty-Five" video progress

Check this out, I built a light box using a cookie tin box, a piece of glass from a picture frame, some duct tape, a ruler, and a portable fluorescent light! This device is going to help me with tracing the animation for the "Twenty-Five" video.


And here are the first seven seconds of the video:

Vasona Park

Today, Vijay, Devin and I played at my company's picnic at Vasona Park in Los Gatos. Didn't bring my camera because it was having a technical issue this morning, but I'll try to get some photos from my coworkers and post them here.

Great fun was had by all. Our audience was constantly changing, but during some songs there were about 30 people who watched us. Highlight has to be the "audience participation" portion when we handed out all our percussion instruments and had the audience members play or clap their hands to "Scenic World" and "Siki, Siki Baba."

The set list: 1. Picture Yourself, 2. Airplanes, 3. Pompeii, 4. Twenty-Five, 5. Marcher, 6. Nightclub Desperado, 7. Idea, 8. The Unqualified Opinion (The Auditing Song), 9. Scenic World, 10. Siki, Siki Baba. Encore: The Unqualified Opinion.

After the show, Devin and I went for a ride on Vasona Park's Billy Jones Wildcat Railroad. That was a blast.

This was Vijay's last band practice/party with us before heading back to school. Thanks for playing with us and we hope to see you again soon!

"Sylvia" music video

Here's our official music video for "Sylvia", using NASA footage from the latest space shuttle mission.

San Jose Municipal Rose Garden

A view of the fountain at the center of the Rose Garden.

This was our first practice at San Jose Municipal Rose Garden, and by some happy coincidence, we ran into a meeting of the Santa Clara Valley Fiddlers Association, an organization best described as Band Practice/Party with several dozen older musicians.

What BP/P might look like in 30 years.

We took over a picnic table off to the side of the SCVFA meeting, but soon attracted the attention of folks who might not be used to seeing a group of twenty-somethings rocking out on a variety of acoustic instruments.

This guy is seriously rockin' out on the recorder.

Vijay and our guest fiddler.

Steven, Vijay, Kate and Devin practiced our set for the show at Steven's company picnic on August 15. We also played "Siki, Siki Baba" in response to a request for mariachi music. (I guess we figured that Balkan brass band music is close enough...)

A familiar sight at a Band Practice/Party. That ukulele belongs to Kate.

We had a jam session with a guy who played some pretty intense violin solos in the key of D. Then, Devin and Steven got sidetracked into a jam of The Who's Tommy. Kate played and sang a couple of folk songs on her ukulele. Finally, we found ourselves playing Beatles tunes, including "I Feel Fine" and "We Can Work It Out."

That's Devin with his harmonium.

"Airplane"

We've been playing "Airplane" for a while, so I thought I'd post a recording of it. For some reason, I felt like going all out with this particular arrangement. This recording uses different sounds from my keyboard and synthesizer, tons of echo, double-tracked lead vocals and three-part harmonies.

When we play it live, Lisa plays the three-note figure at the end of each line on her banjo, Devin and Maya play the long notes, and I play the guitar.

The melody to "Airplane" came to me in May when I was at home building a replica of Damien Hirst's "The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living." Funny where you get your inspiration from. As I recall, the lyrics came soon afterwards and weren't difficult to write. I've been wanting to write songs that didn't have a particular message, but just painted a picture. I decided to make this one about an overnight, probably international, flight. Possibly going to, or coming back from, a honeymoon.

Kate pointed out during a recent band practice that "Airplane" uses the same chord progression as Sixpence None The Richer's 1997 hit, "Kiss Me." I'm okay with that, because I happen to be a big fan of that song. In fact, I think we should play the two songs back-to-back.

Lyrics:

You and I
Oh my
An airplane
Red eye
A glass of
Cabernet
A glass of
Champagne

The outside
Late night
A plastic
Spotlight
The cabin
A cradle
The engines
White noise

(instrumental)

You and me
So sweet
In soft clouds
In dreams
Your head on
My shoulder
My head on
Yours

(instrumental)