Intrepid reader KRISTIN BROWNSWORD sends in her photoshop entry from yesterday's predisposer masterpiece:
Ummmm.... well.....
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CONGRATULATIONS!!! YOU'VE WON!!!
She's requested her own guest post in the near future (done) and Anathallo's presence at her apartment for a homecooked meal sometime this month (and DONE).
Now.
With zero disrespect to YOU-ME-GO'S first ever internet champion... would anyone else care to take a shot? By no means is this contest closed. Both guest list and guest post prizes are still up for grabs. I want acorns! And acorn instruments! I want Anathallo likeness! Red-haired gangly acorns! Erica Froman acorns! A veritable bevy of multi-instrumentalist acorns!
That might be too much to ask.
We'll see.
---Studio update: Jamie just recorded two horn tracks, Erica is listening to her "Northern Lights" takes from Thursday night, and Danny might - maybe maybe maybe - have some videos ready to post soon from when we had our string players in last week.
Not a bad start to the weekend over here... hope you can say the same.
This doesn't happen often... but every once in a while a reviewer can take a band and validate their entire existence with just a few short keyboard strokes.
There's not really too much else to say except (a) the show review is from our last trip out west and (b) I added the pictures.
note: THIS IS REAL. I PROMISE. THERE IS EVEN PROOF WAITING FOR YOU AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST.
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You enter the dark cave, in the middle of the wild forest, dressed in your best chain mail, bastard sword, and a trusty torch in hand. The air is cool on your cheek. In front of you is a large, rusted iron door, with a sign, written in the common merchant language, which says "9 GOLD DRAGONS TO PASS". Next to it is a scale.
-- if you put 9 gold dragons in the scale, continue with this review --
The scale creeks downwards, almost touching the floor, with a POOF of magic steam, the dragons disappear and the door swings suddenly open. You find yourself magically drawn inwards, deeper into the cave. You think you can see lights up ahead and the drip of water coming from somewhere. You loosen your bastard sword in its sheath behind your back and continue forward. As you round the first corner of the cave, you are surprised by Ghost & Liars (the better members from previous band Some By Sea, plus two random sailors, apparently, both sprouting impressive facial hair 1 + 2 ) who play what can only be described as a Some By Sea-lite set. "All these actors and actresses" + clapping.
-- if you wish to draw your bastard sword and continue on deeper into the cave, keep reading this review --
As you glance behind you, you notice that your footsteps are slowly disappearing into the growing darkness behind you, swallowed up by its many inky fingers. You grip your sword tighter and you shift your chain mail. In front of you, the lights and sounds of water are getting brighter and louder. The tunnel, however, is getting smaller and smaller. You squeeze around a tight corner and suddenly come face to trunk with a giant, stone oak tree, in the front of a huge cavern. Its stone branches seem to quiver as you step into the room and beneath the echoes of your footsteps, you think you can hear your name being called.
-- If you approach the stone tree, continue to read this review --
You hesitate for a moment and then approach the giant oak tree. There seems be an enscription on its great trunk. You move a little closer and can barely make out the word "Anathallo". Suddenly the ground shifts under your feet. You fall to your knees, as large, stone roots break through the stone ground and wrap themselves around your legs and arms. You are unable to move and must stare in horror as, from the top of the stone oak tree, eight brightly colored acorns begin to roll and bounce towards your trapped body. Their every bounce sends a bass note pounding through your guts. and as they gain speed, they seem to emit a high, harmonized pitch (something around a high C). All eight acorns suddenly come to a stop, directly in front of your watering eyes. They regard each other and yourself and bring out their tiny acorn guitars, trumpets, keyboards and percussion equipment. They bounce and squeal, shake and twist, then harmonize. Such sweet harmonizing! You think you can't stand it! Your eyes are watering, your ears feel tight against your brain. You can't feel your legs or your body. The acorns charm you with witty banter about their studio time and how at home you make them feel, playing in front of you in this dark cave. They seem to play forever, but you have no concept of how much time has passed. Suddenly, they bounce a few last bass notes, and magically disappear! All of a sudden you find yourself on your back, outside the cave. Shaking the sleep out of your eyes, you stand and look around. The acorns and the cave are nowhere to be seen.
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Now, I don't know anything about photoshop - but if any astute readers can create anything close to that last image... I'm talking guest post on whatever you'd like. I'm talking guest list at the next show. You name it. All I want to see in my lifetime is an acorn with an acorn guitar bouncing and squealing in front of a stone tree. Is that too much to ask? Send all photos to bret.wallin@gmail.com. All entries are winners! (within reason)
Please and thanks.
(and no, I HAVEN'T forgotten about the last prize from our last contest - don't worry unannounced friend, your tribute post and date with my sister are still on the way)
Oh, and the proof? Here's the entire review of last May's show from predisposer. Enjoy!
P.S. Show tonight at the Metro, doors are at six. SEE YOU?
A serious shift for the you-me-go blog today... and then it will be back to our regularly scheduled program.
(although it would appear that yesterday's program consisted of a two-legged horse)
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The band "Anathallo" that was formed in the fall of 2000 was a collection of small town teenagers ranging from eighteen to sixteen years old. I was one of them... and there was no thought then to the amount of memories, friends, and travel that would follow as a result of piecing together songs in the Joynt family's basement. We just wanted our first show to go off without a hitch. That was more than enough to keep us occupied.
There was no thought given then, either - and how could we? - to the unknown faces that we had yet to meet, the deep friendships that would come in the form of future additions to the band. And similarly, how could anyone in that basement have known what it would feel like to share so many of those same memories, friends, and travel... and then part ways with one of us.
Ty Forquer, Glenn King, Kevin Greenlees, Nate Sandberg, Joel Thiele, and now Andrew Dost.
As first mentioned on buzzgrinder (kudos to you, story breakers) and just recently noticed by brooklyn vegan, Andrew has left the band and is now pursuing his own (wonderfully promising) solo career.
I think that after seven years you realize that music parts can be replaced but never a person. Never ever a person.
I first met Andrew at freshman orientation on the campus of Central Michigan University. We eventually became dorm-sharers, bandmates, intermural sport teammates, apartment-renters, and van travellers. When he joined the band, Anathallo was in disarray. Jamie had just taken his leave and Nate was planning on getting married. Our winter tour two months previous had featured a horn section of one. What Andrew brought was desperately needed stability and a wealth of talent. Pianist, vocalist, percussionist, and flugelhorn player; he helped navigate the band's transition from "college students who tour on their school breaks" to "let's see if we can be a real band."
It pays my rent now. That was as real as any of us had ever hoped.
This isn't a blog of drama. I know when I read stories about other bands and members leaving, I always want to know the whole story. You're the reader right now. I'm sure you're experiencing the same feeling. Of how's, what's, where's, when's, and why's... I think I've only covered the what. The band and Andrew parted ways this past summer and we both agreed a huge announcement wasn't needed from either side (that's the when, if you're keeping score). It just didn't seem to be either of our styles to go about it any other way. Only when stories started showing up (and understandably so) did it seem like the right time to sit down and pound this out on my keyboard.
I think everyone involved would agree... that this outcome has been for the best. Andrew just finished a tour with The Format and is currently travelling and playing his own songs. We spent the rest of the summer finishing the new album and are working to record it. That doesn't cover a how, where, or why so much - but maybe that's alright and you understand. Hopefully it's enough to know that we all feel that things have worked themselves out for the good of everyone involved.
Thanks for reading through all of this. I know this was a you-me-go departure... no random pictures today, but here:
This is from one of the best nights I can remember. It was Jer's first northern winter and a few of us went to visit Andrew's home in Beulah, Michigan. We caught snowflakes and laughed and laughed and laughed.
Finally, the youtube hound in me (so aptly put by Isaac at ...and God rock us, everyone) found this song from The Cotton Jones Basket Ride.
For any Michigan readers, I highly encourage you to head out and catch both Andrew and his above tourmates in Ann Arbor tonight.
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Thanks again. More studio updates to come in the following days. Just a reminder, though, that Dan has been posting pictures daily on his flickr.
This is going to be quick because I need to jump on my bike soon and pedal my little heart out. We're recording the bell song today. It has changed a bit from a couple months ago.
(they're both on their way, you better believe it)
I even posted a video about Britney Spears and that didn't seem to drive anyone away.
(don't go!!! PLEASE!)
(but just saying - it would appear that COMEBACK 07 ought to be put on indefinite hold)
So for all the special people in my e-life... I wanted to give something back. The comment section has held the nicest messages lately and I thought you all deserved the best. So here goes.
A secret... we've been in the studio before. Crazy, I know. But when we were little teenage pre-thallians... Matt, Jamie and I were in a band called The Kind of Guys. TKOG, if you will. Punk with Horns from Mount Pleasant, Michigan. You should probably take a listen.
(I apologize - I only had the forty second clip on my computer!)
And equally as fantastic... Matt, Danny, and Erica were in a band called Promise of Restoration. That would be Erica's sister doing the screaming.
That was the sentence that AbsolutePunk posted yesterday on their Music Mends Broken Hearts empire. It's a lovely sentence, no? Succinct and powerful.
It's also the sentence that quadrupled our blog hits yesterday.
I feel an introduction is long overdue! (No, seriously - we had a Labor Day picnic in the park yesterday and I had no idea this was happening... there would have been so many more strange pictures and random videos left waiting if I had known we had so many new guests coming through the door.)
The following are facts as presented in the form of a cordial greeting.
Hello! We are Anathallo.
You are visiting our Internet Web Log of Charm. The long winded title of this electronic outpost still remains "Your Happy Makes Me Go Oldies." However, its multi-syllabic nature does little to impress at dinner parties. Hence, the YOU-ME-GO turn this site has taken! Welcome.
The great news: we are recording a new album right now. There are a handful of updates towards the middle of the page for your perusal - start in the blog archive at "Day 1" and make your way up! We plan on having our ten songs finished by mid-October and that will be just in time for us to take the record to The Land Where Dreams Come True aka the CMJ Music Marathon and Film Festival. There we'll see if any labels are interested in becoming our very best friends and showering us with gifts (namely, better distribution and the means with which to send my great grandkids to college).
If not, then we'll probably be headed for a fairly early 2008 self-release through Artist Friendship. Both sound pretty good to us, actually.
The not so terrible news : as you read this, we are taking a short break from the studio. You can see this isn't terrible news but it does make for slightly awful timing. What updates can I surprise you with until this weekend? What presents can you unwrap that won't leave you slightly disinterested? Well here, let me start.
For fans of Phil Collins, gorillas, and Cadbury's Dairy Milk:
I think it is every writer's temptation to post something and then insist that it be watched more than once. Perhaps you will trust me, though, when I say the video is better the second time around. And quite possibly the third time.
Also: for those of you unitiated to the ways of YOU-ME-GO. This all... is fairly random. Matt posted very early on that the blog is our puppy and we plan on feeding it whatever we want. Done and done.
And done:
(alright - I have no idea)
There is also a fairly delicate balance that we've been trying to achieve lately. You probably came here not wanting so much to know about Phil Collins-inspired gorillas and leprechaun sightings in the south. It's more than likely that you saw the word "Anathallo" and clicked. In some way, you'd like to know what we're up to.... which means we shouldn't ALWAYS trap our reader friends with the utterly random and inane (see: Britney Spears and my last post). Like I said, this is a blog of charm.
And really, what could be more charming than Anathalloween? With no real studio news to give at the moment, we're dipping back into the GREATEST HITS VAULT CIRCA 2006:
Awwww.
It strikes me that this post could be teetering on the brink of youtube overload. I'm going to take a step back - there's still one more clip I want to share and it's self-indulgent (i.e. SPORTS RELATED) - so we'll wait until the very end for your last video treasure.
THE HASTILY WRITTEN WEEKEND UPDATE: we were able to see both our friends The Format and Brand New play over the weekend. We all share the same management and that made for fun times and free shows. Andrew Dost is on tour right now playing flugal horn for The Format and he will be playing some spectacular solo shows soon (alliteration please).
shown: Andrew Dost with fan
You can click here for more details and Christopher Columbus related-tunes.
Also.
In a shameless attempt to get you to come back later this week, I will share this: my girlfriend and I had a thoroughly wonderful conversation with Jesse Lacey on Sunday (ALL TOGETHER NOW: OMG). We talked about science and the universe. I will put up the highlights soon. I will say this, though - I was having trouble keeping up. This blog has talked cats that can predict death and scientists that have solved checkers and they were no match.
FINALLY.
If you don't like sports (particularly football), this post just probably ended for you. I'm not even going to attempt to describe what happens in the video. However. Repeated physical feats of greatness, I feel, are few and far between... and in this case, I could not care less that what you're about to witness (IF YOU SO CHOOSE) occured in high school. Sam McGuffie is probably in class right now. That doesn't change how I feel about the moment with 2:15 left below.
Football as inspiration. Perhaps.
Either way, though, thanks for stopping by. And if you've made it this far, maybe you'll think about coming back. To the rest of the YOU-ME-GO faithful, thanks as always. Perhaps this is also a blog of gratitude.
...but what would your weekend be if you hadn't seen this?
***please ignore if you don't have a morbid curiosity towards Britney Spears or her newly leaked (as of last night) single "Gimme More." ***also to be ignored if you don't regard 2007 as "the year of the comeback" or have no interest in watching the hastily recorded dance moves of a young man who also believes in COMEBACK 07. ***seriously, the song has only been out 24 hours and this video already exists. ***kudos to you, dancer friend. ***also, you shouldn't listen to this song if you don't want to hear the B-WORD. ***because boy does she say it.
An update: We are recording today. We are taking a week off starting tomorrow. But not a week off from you, YOU-ME-GOERS! If you were worried. Also: I might very well be meeting FREEDARKO tonight. They are the ones who taught me to post abstract pictures and embrace all blog things self-referential. Or maybe it was in my heart to begin with. I would like to think so. Also: That's enough with short sentences.
HERE GOES! AND IT'S A QUICK ONE!
Devin pictured upon his trusty steed.
Your friend and mine, Devin O'Sullivan, encountered the facebook genie last night and was granted three wishes. And with his first wish... did he think of himself? Did he ask for gold? Riches? Snappy attire? A blogger username of his own?
Hardly.
Instead, he thought of you - the reader - and asked that this video be shared:
The other two wishes, I believe, are in good hands.
Noted: 8 hours of recording a piano that was nearly 10 cents sharp will make any recording sound incredibly awful. Dually Noted: The picture shown below is a snap shot I took earlier of the crook that swindled us with the bogus tune-job. DO NOT LET THIS MAN TUNE YOUR PIANO
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