Cambot

I'm playing a show

2007-08-10T11:12:00.000-07:00

So, in case you missed my earlier post, I have a current musical endeavor called City of Islands that I don't put any time into but still want all my friends to know about because once every fifteen years or so I might play a show and I still want you to show up so it's not just me serenading the soundguy. Sound good? I love you, too. The songs here hardly ever change, but I'll let you know when they do because there are a ton more just laying around, not paying their share of the rent. I'd love to put them to work. The nice thing about coming to the shows is that the line-up is always going to be different. Sometimes it's a band, sometimes just me. Sometimes maybe I won't show up at all. Mysterious!!

I also just put some songs together in a jukebox. It's over there -->

My first official show is on 9/5 at Parkside Lounge on E. Houston between Ave. B & C. I play at 11pm sharp. Me good friend Daron was responsible for me being on the show in the first place, and he's playing at 10pm, so do come early.

I'd like to buy the world some coke

2007-07-01T21:30:00.001-07:00

Don't ask me why I'm up at 12:30 on a school night, but I was reading about Freud's experimentation with cocaine as a cure-all, and I came across this irreverent little article that highlighted some of the more fascinating experiments Freud conducted with the drug.

Among them was a nose operation that he and another scientist performed on each other. They used a cocaine solution beforehand as a local anaesthetic and then again afterwards as well to "dull the pain of surgery." Unsurprisingly, he was very pleased with the results. His notes:

"I put a noticeable end to the last horrible attack [by taking some more] cocaine; since then things have been fine and a great amount of pus is coming out... Since the last cocainisation three circumstances have continued to coincide: 1. I feel well; 2. I am discharging ample amounts of pus; 3. I am feeling very well..."

My man's just trying to keep it together.

Okay, fine.

2007-05-30T14:35:00.001-07:00

I do like this site.

Wednesday's Guilty Pleasures

2007-05-16T14:15:00.000-07:00

I can't stop listening to either of these songs:

The Serendipity Machine

2007-05-03T21:35:00.000-07:00

In the constant blur of my new-ish job, I've been trying to shoehorn some solitude into my days in whatever way possible. Usually what that translates to is putting on headphones before bed and listening to Labradford or Slowdive as I drift off to sleep. I've been trying to find something else though, and during a recent quest to find a new portable field recorder, I came across the Quiet American site and something called The Serendipity Machine.

Aaron Ximm, who is behind the Quiet American site, describes it as "a self-running installation piece. Each Machine produces an ever-changing stream of sounds by autonomously and randomly mixing source clips from a prepared libarary. A clip can be anything from a few seconds to several minutes long; several clips of silence are included. Each Machine is built into an object appropriate to its sound sources; blindfolds or masks are provided to focus the listener on what they are hearing."

I listened to the sample track "Skyway" all the way through, and I recommend the same if you have about 15 minutes to spare. It's really great in headphones, and as he says, in a space where you aren't distracted by anything else (1AM in the dark should get you there quite easily...)

Seahorses? Love 'em.

2007-04-27T17:30:00.000-07:00

Dan Deacon and Liam Lynch. All genius except for the F bomb. The other one.

Thanks! You've been SO helpful!

2007-02-12T08:53:00.000-08:00

Thug teen: I wanna take out this fuckin' book.
Librarian: Okay, well, go to the check-out desk.
Thug teen: I got to go to the other fuckin' desk, mothafuckah?
Librarian: Yeah, motherfucker. The other fuckin' desk.

--Brooklyn Library

(Overheard In New York)

Til Brunch Do Us Part

2007-02-07T21:13:00.000-08:00

Putting aside how creepy I look in this photo, this is what the inside of a Jefferson Hotel room looks like. Unfortunately, none of the service is present in this photo, which is ultimately what makes that place so beyond amazing. Taking our mothers there for Mother's Day is really just an excuse to get to eat on that mezzanine again. Sorry Mum!

Two Things I've Learned Today

2007-02-07T12:40:00.000-08:00

This is how I prefer to sleep.

I don't normally post these things (ei: "Which cast member of One Tree Hill are YOU??"), but the survey for determining your pose is worth the time, even if you don't give a damn how you sleep.

Also, the new Menomena record is fantastic. Hear the entire thing here.

OH, and while we're on the subject of music, the video below is my new jam. Actually, the video is so-so but the song is stellar, and the whole record is super solid. The band is Peter Bjorn & John, the album is called Writer's Block. Watch if you wish:

Want My Job??

2007-02-07T09:33:00.000-08:00

So I'm happy to say that I'm moving on to a new position at another label, and very sad to say that I'm leaving all the amazing people at RCA.

So, are you a nerdy music industry type who can also stomach a vaguely corporate environment while discussing the problems with DRM, mp3's, and "interoperability?" Well, then maybe my job is for you. It's an Admin Assistant position in the New Media (or Online Marketing, depending on the day of the week) department of RCA Records. You won't get treated like an assistant (unless like, that's your thing) and there are a lot of chances to take on bigger projects if you want. As far as record label departments go, it's definitely at the front end of where the "industry" is headed, so you will learn a TON.

If you want to apply, you have to go here. The job description and everything else is listed there, and there are no direct submissions through email... so use that link. I really do love it here and if it weren't for similarly positive opportunities elsewhere, I would be happily staying. Good luck, and if you submit, drop me a line so I can put in a good word...

Halloween '07

2007-02-07T08:03:00.000-08:00

My special lady Susan is already working on ideas for this year's costume ball... Hey, Timothy McSweeney even (kind of) approved.

State Fair 2006

2007-01-23T13:55:00.000-08:00

This video is from last summer, but it still brings back the memory of fresh lemonade, deep fried Oreos, and one of my faves: the tractor barn. Also, piglets are the new puppies.

Virtual Impotence (well, not really)

2007-01-23T13:41:00.000-08:00

I've noticed that, since exiting the World Of Being In A Regular Band, making the rock talk with friends that I was tight with primarily because of our shared musical aspirations can be a little like telling someone that you're having problems in bed. They sort of stand there awkwardly, hands buried in their pockets, not sure exactly what to say.

"So.... uh, work's good?"
"Yep. Dental benefits and everything."
"But you can still like... play and everything, right?"
"Yep."
"Cool. Cool."

That said, I still do write a lot of music on the side, even without a "formal" outlet for it. I made a MySpace page even. It's not updated frequently, and it doesn't well represent the cross section, or the mass, of songs that has collected over the past couple years, but curious folk may still listen.

** the less "icy" side of Denali **