Volume 14 – #1 – January 2011
Well, January is usually a month of leisure for Brave Combo. The spring festival season is still months away. The world, in general, is partied out. It’s not a great time, weather-wise, to tour north of the Texas/Oklahoma border (a really smart policy this year). We never release a new album right after Christmas, so there’s nothing fresh and exciting to hawk. And, sadly, local live music clubs are a dicey call anyway, these days. So it’s the perfect time of the year to set goals, work a little on new songs, clean up old songs, make recording plans, clean the office and answer all the emails I missed from the previous 12 months. January is always catch-up month. Not so for 2011. Between New Year’s Day and the 15th, I scored and recorded all of the music for the pilot of a new TV show, licensed a Brave Combo song to a Russian film company for their new movie (NUMBER 13) and prepared music for the new Carl Finch/Danny Jerabek album. Danny came to town about mid-month. We went to the studio, made magic happen, he joined us for some gigs, and then we went back to the studio. In the meantime I’ve been listening to lots of classical music and getting ready for another recording project that’s about to happen but is too complicated to explain here. As well, I’ve been trying to figure out who should play at whichever gigs Danny O’Brien will not be performing this year. As most of you know, Danny has resigned from day-to-day BC business and will be retiring as a full-time member about mid-year. He will be playing lots of shows with us until then (catch him when you can) and will probably be appearing here and there throughout the year, but the time for me to prepare is now, like an ant, not a hare. Wait, those are two different stories with two different lessons, even if “hare” rhymes with “prepare.” Being unprepared is not the same as procrastinating. I know because I am familiar with how both feel. One screws you up and the other one messes you up. Whatever, this is certainly a que sera sera moment for Brave Combo. And, you know, change is exhilarating but exhausting. New birth brings new ideas, new points of view, new songs and new sounds. It’s actually pretty thrilling to hear our music interpreted by different ears, fingers and mouths. The big problem is that I can’t make myself go to bed early enough to do all I need to do everyday. Apparently, I love late night and really early morning, like 2-3 AM. Almost everyone in Denton is passed out during the wee hours. The streets are quiet. I often wave at our newspaper delivery woman as she tosses the morning paper into our yard. She and I are on a first-name basis. Most of our animals have settled down by then, so a sudden feeding frenzy is unlikely to occur. I find the same late-night infomercials redundantly comforting, too. That machine that juices tin cans is amazing and who can resist a do-it-yourself a folding spaghetti drainer cowboy hat with matching NFL Snuggie? Not me. Only $19.95, but wait, they’ll throw in a second set for free (just pay shipping and handling, which comes to about $100). I’m concerned, though. Is “Girls Gone Wild” simply just “Girls Gone” now? I haven’t seen any of their fine products advertised for a couple of years. Gee, what could have “gone wrong” there? I remember they used to sell knife sets as exercise equipment, or something like that. And, come on, everyone loves Chuck Norris, no matter what he’s selling. That’s a no-brainer. Literally. Whatever, late night isn’t just about television. Writing and working on music is easiest after midnight. It’s 12:45 AM right now, the words are flowing and the night is young! Bring on more words! If I really could get by on four or five hours of sleep I would so do it.
We’ve been checking out possible tunes to record with super accordion wiz, Guy Klucevsek. We plan to perform on five of the tracks from his new CD in a matter of weeks. He’s coming to Denton to make this happen and we’ll be camping out at The Echolab Studio in Argyle, Texas for a few days. This will be a blast, even if it’s tricky, musically, which it will be.
Fun fact: Cats like to play with string. Dangle it in front of them and watch ‘em go!
Hey, we have several groovy Texas shows coming up soon in Odessa, Ft. Worth, Alpine, San Antonio and good ol’ Denton
So, here’s a dilemma. I write this newsletter once a month, called THE MACHINE’S PUMP. Does this make sense anymore in the age of Facebook? I wonder if everyone is getting burned out with everyone else’s slant on whatever. And bloggers are a dime-a-billion now. A lot of clever people are saying a lot of clever things 24 hours a day about everything from polka music to polka dancing and all topics in between. I mean, how important is my angle anymore? Brave Combo is a band that plays music one doesn’t expect to hear, wherever one might be. The original formula was pretty simple: Band plays polka in rock club. In a way, that always said it all and nothing more ever needed to be said. But, of course, the band’s repertoire outgrew the original concept and started to represent different things to different people. World music, as a defined genre, didn’t even exist when we were first playing, so it was easy to delightfully shock an audience by just walking out on most stages with an accordion. Now it’s hard to walk around Denton without tripping over someone with an accordion, just like your town. At the same time, the downtown air is constantly alive with low hip-hop tones coming from pick-up trucks, as no one looks up from his or her cell phone. So, I just wonder, in this time of information overload and perpetual distraction, how important my monthly ramblings are. I’ve been presenting this two-page perspective for over fifteen years, so it’s not easy to give up, but I also ate meat at one time in my life and that’s about as alien as anything I can imagine now. We’ll see, I guess. In the meantime, let’s have a laugh.
Here’s another Good News/Bad News Joke
Man A at gas pump at convenience store: Hey, did you hear the good news?
Man B at another pump, looking annoyed: What? Your toothless grandmother had twin pig-faced babies this afternoon or something?
Man A: Yes!
Okay, on that extremely funny note, I’ll bring this sucker to a close. Pull the covers up tight sweet ones, because the night is getting darker, the storms stronger, and all the lifeboats have leaks. Pleasant nightmares.
I’m still reading the Machine’s Pump, just as soon as it appears each month. Please don’t stop writing it, unless you’re willing to go full-on Facebook with your own personal page, with full stalking access to all 500 of your closest personal friends. How else would I keep track of all the important details of Carl Finch’s life?
I say if the words are coming, then keep writing them down. I’ll keep reading them
Ah heck, Carl. The world as I know it is truly changing in silly and stupid ways every day. Texting while driving in a car ought to be up there with manslaughter, just as deadly. Some things come once a month and that gives a person a lift when it arrives. I do look forward to your point of view every month, as it often coincides with my thinking and being. Not to burden you, but the constant bla bla every day on twofacefriend or twitterbrain blather just doesn’t compare to concise thought and a refreshing point of view given in small doses on a monthly basis.
Do as you must. Guy Klucksceveck is a wonderful accordionist – look forward to what you all will produce musically.
A luddite to the end, happy new ear. fred
I agree Carl….Yu have to keep writing. I dont always stay on top of the Pump but then I read a few issues at once. Its a good perspective of life……Do Something different……and that means please dont give in to the man…..in this case Facebook. Sure…. have a link if you must but the words there seem like dibble in comparison to the PUMP. The one liners of someone had a rough day or just got on the train are, well….dribble.
BC is a different take on the music…its a different take or spin on the view of the world.
Thanks for keeping us entertained….either in your writing or on stage. We appreciate the struggles
I still enjoy it but, hey, I’m a fan of the written word.
Carl – Keep writing! BC always did something different…. if you tried to do this on Facebook it would just be another FB message. This way you get the people who really want and value what you write.
Carl, if you want to write, write, if you don’t want to don’t, if you want to just write one paragraph that’s fine too. I find the read relaxing. Sort of like reading Carl Sandburg talking about his dog… “Travels with Charlie”. Here we have “Travels with Carl” Enjoy the trip you’re on. I guess I should send you some obscure classical music CDs.. Once again thanks for showing up at my birthday (Jan 12) party at the Dallas Museum of Art. Suzanne and I try to get a BUNCH of friends and family to party there over the last decade or so… I still fondly remember you guys playing the theme to “Capt Kangaroo” at the DMA when good ol’ Bob passed away a few years back… Thanks for the music and the fun, keep up the Good Work BC <( buddy Carl not BC haha)
Reading your words in the forum you made is like hot chocolate with a friend in loved place.
Reading you on facebook would be like having a conversation while in line at Wal-Mart, pleasant but potentially incidental. The worst possible effect is being trivial to lessor minds.
You are many different things Carl, but your thoughts, even your whimsy, has never been trivial.
As an Artist you must do what you must -Just preserve a channel for us without booked faces.
We love You.
Please don’t make me go to facebook. As soon as I’m there I’m inevitably contacted by someone that I knew in high school 40 years ago. Usually someone that didn’t even like me. I love to pop a beer and have a smoke and pretend that Carl Finch is in the house. ( I didn’t mean for that to sound so creepy)
What people above me said. ‘Do something different’ is one of not that many originals and tune I sorta declared mine to live by. While seemingly simple, you deepen the idea every month. If it all was printed, I’d consider it worth buying. Not sure I need it, but it helps and/or feels comfortable, not going with what is considered appropiate. That, and the sanity certain (can’t use ‘my’, but picked up when in need of home) cats offer me. Scary though, I’ve never felt like disagreeing (and I’ve read them all, some with a bit of delay), often thought, yes, like that. Foremost, I need the music to continue, but the Machine’s Pump adds to it, a lot. I also think you prolly enjoy putting your thoughts down. While a seemingly smooth talk, essential stuff is well build up and explained. Just keep doing it. Maybe you wondered whether it was heard ? I, like prolly more people, usually type half a reply, then think – ah, he knows all that, skip it. Could change my behavior, but then you’d have to reply to the replies and it would be almost facebook…
Danny O’Brien will be sadly missed by me. I considered him a virtuoso on his instrument. I was also sad when Ann Marie, the girl bass player (lefty), left, but her replacement was not just a replacer, but an excellent performer bass player. So Brave will move on. I think you have been fortunate to keep musicians for years at a time. PS: boy those guys were really young looking in the 1998 clip !! PPS: We are going to Pulaski Days this July after spending the weekend before it in Milwaukee at a Croatian festival.
I get over every couple of months just to read the Pump. I’d be bummed if you stopped doing it. I have a Facebook account, but I can’t stand it and avoid it as much as possible. But, shoot, I’d be ok with you giving up letting the words fly if you would just come back to the PNW.