Artwork by some dude on the subway
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1) Thumbelina*
2) Knocking**
* “Thumbelina” music & lyrics by Blake Charleton. Recorded, mixed & mastered by Calvin Pia. Bass played by Jay Goodman.
** “Knocking” first appeared as track #4 on Akudama’s 2005 debut full-length release Flying Over Morning. Music by Akudama. Lyrics by Blake Charleton. Recorded and mixed by Calvin Pia. Mastered by Sid Obando. Bass played by Matthew Weber.
© 2009 Akudama
Free Download Expired – Please listen/purchase below
01. People*
02. Everywhere At Once**
03. Barbershop*
04. Turtle Tan*
Akudama’s October EP of the month is entitled “the flophouse sessions”, a collection of live songs recorded during a handful of visits to the living room of Somerville’s most hospitable duo, Andy and Jen. We handpicked the most bearable takes to throw along side yr eardrum for whenever you deem desirable (Oughta be often fellas n’ fillets). Feel free to peruse our entire flophouse archive HERE, or, if you want my advice on time better spent, check out Rammstein’s new hit song, “pussy”. It’s as shocking as rubbing yr teddy bear on a carpet, and as interesting as the blog post below.
>>Keep yr ear to the ground for upcoming studio versions of People, Everywhere At Once, & Turtle Tan<<
*Bass played by David Dawda
**Bass played by Jay Goodman
©2009 Akudama/Flophouse
We’ve got another exclusive pre-Lady Gaga video, a Zeppelin cover no less… featuring Calvin (of Akudama) on guitar. Catch it before Perez Hilton or your local librarian does!
Before the paparazzi, Akudama’s very own Calvin Pia had been blessed with the opportunity to take the stage with mega-star-to-be, Lady Gaga. The video might be a little toned down for all you “Gagas” out there, and what I mean by that is, she’s sitting there singing some bullshit song you’ve never heard as opposed to standing there, with no pants on, singing some bullshit song you hear everyday blaring out the window of a guapo’s Jetta, or from a muffled speaker above the chip isle in any Duane Reade (pronounced Dwan-Aye Re-odd-Aye).
The performance is as entertaining as watching Henry Fonda pick blueberries, which is honest to god a ten out of ten by Bitter End standards. Enjoy?
“White men in white suits, only in New York!” exclaims a giddy black man dressed in Ghanaian/union square hybrid drab. These are the kind of elated responses strewn from the mouths of lucky bystanders who happened to catch last Saturday’s live, choreographed, barber shop quartetted rendition of “I Will Be Glad.” We ended up doing the performance in Union/Washington Square Parks, as well as the Union Square subway platform. The idea was to try a new promotion technique, in specific regards to our upcoming residency at PIANOS (158 Ludlow Lower East Side 9/8- 50’s themed, 9/15 80’s themed, 9/22 2050’s themed.)
Come dressed accordingly and receive prizes and praises. Come dressed like shit and we’ll force you to experience the night wearing Bose sound reduction headphones playing Jean-Claude Van Damme commentary on Time Cop commentary.
Artwork by: Falon Neiswander
LOST ON THE BRIAN FERRY E.P. {SEPTEMBER 2009}
FREE DOWNLOAD EXPIRED – Please Listen/Purchase Below
1) Lost on the Brian Ferry*
2) Blastin’ Outta the Casket**
*”Lost on the Brian Ferry” music by Akudama, lyrics by Blake Charleton. Recorded, mixed and mastered by Calvin Pia. Bass played by Jay Goodman.
**”Blastin’ Outta the Casket” was written, performed and recorded entirely by Blake Charleton. Mastered by Calvin Pia.
© 2009 Akudama
BARBERSHOP E.P. {AUGUST 2009}
FREE DOWNLOAD EXPIRED – PURCHASE BELOW
1) Barbershop*
2) Camera Girl**
*”Barbershop” was written by Blake Charleton & Akudama. Bass played by Jay Goodman. Recorded & mixed by Calvin Pia at Danbro Studios, Brooklyn. Mastered by Kevin Siwoff.
**”Camera Girl” was written by Blake Charleton & Akudama. Featuring Gina Cimmelli of Gina’s Picture Show on backing vocals. Bass played by Blake Charleton. Recorded & mixed by Calvin Pia. Mastered by Kevin Siwoff.
© 2009 Akudama
Coinciding with the Feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel and San Paolino festival happening this week in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, here is the [admittedly overdue] video for our [mucho-old] song “Out Again”. It features footage from last year’s festival of the same irritatingly-long namesake, where Blake wore a Sargent Peppers jacket and almost threw up on the tea-cup ride.
Directed by Zachary Robbins and edited by Anthony Subietas, this video was shot over a friggin year-and-a-half (2007-2008) between original hometown of Weston, CT and Brooklyn, NY where we now call home. Featuring Eli Silverman as “bass player”, while the recording features original player-of-bass, Matt Weber. Needless to say, both the video and the song are far-from-current, but that doesn’t make it any less RIVETING! Enjoy.
This is what happens when you let Leann Rime’s pilates instructor, in a Chewbacca induced K-hole, get behind the trumpet.
Calvin and I (Cayce) were walking into Danbro studios in Bushwick a few months back to test some mics for the Sun recording, when we noticed a jam we dug playing faintly out of a boom box in the back room. We turned a corner to find curtain walls constructed in a half-circle, with faceless characters dressed in draping drabs dancing beneath. The song that played was of common knowledge, and I could only assume this was a music video by a student (not something of the professional nature.) So we went about our business in our rehearsal space, and came back down a couple hours later. This time, as we turned the corner, we see Avey Tare sitting down with one other human being at a plastic table just outside the shoot. I’m already feeling like a tween, heart thumping, knees shakin’, like from Dolby surround sound.
And so we approach the dudes, asking the simple question “… so what are you guys doing over here?” … Now you may be thinkin’ I’m a Tyrannosaurus-tard for asking the obvious, but that one question lead to a ten minute conversation that was just… just great! Dudeman was as modest as can be, inquiring equally about me and my brother’s endeavors as us about Panda Bear’s and his.
I walked away that day feeling like I had met one of my heroes, and to have the experience be what it was, I feel very fulfilled and grateful.
So now, what made me tell you this absolutely boring story is the fact that I just found the Animal Collective “Summertime Clothes” music video on Youtube. It’s mediocre! Enjoy!
