Sunday, May 20, 2012

Dylan's Home For Waywayd Cymbals

Our drummer Dylan Mac (Heavy D) has been working diligently to ensure that all cymbals are treated with respect and care no matter their mental state or malformations. Two cases in particular stand out. These two crash cymbals (which are on his set) have been abused. The emotional and physical torment they have suffered is apparent from their portraits. Ignoring these petty facts, Dylan uses them every day to remind them how special they truly are.

Paiste number one sits on Dylan's left, this little guy is responsible for many of his clanging crashes. During a recent mental breakdown, he inverted and cracked under the pressure. This led to many pieces being lost. His inversion is apparent when looking at the photo, and he is now stubborn whenever turned right side up and right side out, he is upside down in this photo.


This cymbal sits on Dylan's right. This poor fellow suffers from a severe case of hypochondria and anger issues. This condition has led to some shedding of his own. Unlike his dear friend to his left he not only formed ragged edges but now has springlike arms extending from his surface, which are incredibly unstable and sharp. Whenever Dylan and this cymbal argue, pieces fly off, some of which have hit me while I play not feet away. Many more have hit Dylan.


Even through these trials Dylan has shown these two love. A third cracked cymbal can be found under his Ozone Stack, which also has a prominent role in his playing. We all wish him luck in his attempts to revitalize a friendship with a fourth lost soul, which has laid in his basement collecting tarn. Please consider donating any and all broken, dismembered or emotionally damaged cymbals to Dylan, he will give them the attention they deserve. His love and kindness should be known to all.


     - Chris

Friday, May 11, 2012

The Sound of Pyramid

If a pyramid falls in the desert, does it make a sound?

Apparently so, and these guys out in Ithaca record it all the time.  We got wind that they pay good money for folks to sing into their tin can.  However, I'm not really sure if we're getting a good deal since this time, we're paying them.  We figured it was about time to pay a visit to good ol' Phil Abbott out at Pyramid Sound.  We received aforementioned wind from our (Mike, Rob, I) music theory teacher Jeff Abbott, who is believed to be identical twins with Phil, yet they both deny it.  Thus, on Monday the Seventh of May, Two Thousand and Twelve, we began our RROOAAADDD TRRRRIIIIIIIIIPP at an estimated 15:45ish.  On our way there, we encountered slow people in the fast lane, a clown named McDolan, and many invisible construction workers who were undoubtedly working very hard on the left lane.  Then, after trailing a trailer for a few miles, we finally made it close to our destination.  Working off the directions of our favorite tour guide, Microsoft Mary, we found ourselves lost within the city of Ithaca in under 5 minutes.  We radioed in to base for assistance.  Phil explained how the bridge was out, so we needed to find another way to get across town, where we'd find a white trailer indicating the door of the studio.  He also mentioned that we might need to move some traffic blockers to park by the studio.

Things started getting sketchier by the minute (Bobby suggested we were being punked) and we weren't sure if we'd want to make the venture again.  We drove around in circles (literal circles) for like, 10, maybe 20 cycles until we miraculously eyed the pearly white of the trailer.  I then had to get out and push some orange traffic barrels out the way so our driver could pull the limo around and park behind the Great White Trailer.  Next we got to take a look inside.  To our surprise, the inside was a lot classier in comparison to the very sketchy exterior, which eased our suspicion that our 5 hour trek might amount to nothing.  We had a great time talking with Phil, who gave us the tour and explained to us how everything might go, if we decide to record there.  Which, after much deliberation, was an exalting yes.  Our return trip was a much easier bout, which we enjoyed with the help of some rave music hailing from Great Russia, which ended our excursion with a rather chill bang.

~Heavy D

Phoenix Flame

Vagary:
An extravagant or erratic notion or action.
[From Latin vagari, to wander, from vagus, wandering.]
The band The Soul Within disbanded, its members scattered and wandering.  With a change of feel and a new lineup, we decided it was time for a reemergence. A treacherous tetrad of sinister souls, armed with a sextet of abstract airs, and eighteen spastic strings, Vagary was born.

Introducing the members:
     Rob Glasser (Bobby Glazer) - Guitarist
     Mike Teixeira (Vagrant Mike)- Guitarist
     Dylan Mac Intosh (Heavy D)- Drummer
     Chris Strait - Vocalist and Bassist