We Are Still Alive, We Are Still Alive, We Are Still Alive

Enjoying some much needed peace and quite.....last few weeks of this month have been a blur...holidays passed right by in a big mad whirl.

Distraction...has become a distraction from all other things....multiples of multiples of vocal performances for that song and not one that rings right....This song has become the last pain in the arse....

all others happily coming together, shall I dare to say, slowly, very s-l-o-w-l-y making their way to the mastering stage. Oh this would all be great.

In These Times of Madness.....Here Is A Treat

Hol
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Its As If Our World Is Moving Ever So Slowly, Even Though Plenty Of People Are Speeding By

We are playing our last show of the year this Wednesday, 12/5 at 10:30pm at the Mercury Lounge, visit www.mercuryloungenyc.com for more details and come by and keep our stage warm with us.

Time seems to be moving very slow for us as we eagerly wait and work on finishing this EP; 8 months in the making. So many things on hold, just waiting for this to be done.

New Years Resolutions are on our minds....all hoping to feel whole, complete, and free.

On other news, we seem to be finding numerous nuggets of art/music/fun in the Greenpoint/Williamsburg area....that area is filled to the rim with some many crevices to explore......so come have a late night with us.....

Especially this wednesday, 12/5.....we will certainly need you then :)

Best

Final Chuckles

Dropped over $50 on vegan/vegetarian food for our trip back downstate. Such healthy beasts we are. One last long haul of our gear into the truck and back home....certainly have sore muscles from having to carry it around this cold weather and in general.

Did some early morning recording for our upcoming EP.

Broccoli

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Drummin.

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Day Two: B-U-F-F-A-L-O

Nice, very nice...to pick up old vintage the Smiths and some other lovely tunes. Played to a two hands full of people, but not before we first visited the Niagara Falls....lovelier in person....than in computer pictures life.

People of Buffalo, very supportive, provided us with much needed information for a second follow up show sometime next year. Dali's Ghost, lovelier in person than in myspace life....thanks for having us. It was great...but the night was not over until some drinks were had and gear brought back into to the hotel room.

Tommorrow, we set out back home to NYC. Alot was realized in this micro-tour....most importantly assured us to keep pushing on...this little dream...this little fantasy...that we call music.

Goodnight

Micro Tour: Day One

Departure: 2:20pm
Arrival: 6:40
Where: Syracuse, Funk n Waffles
Mood: Tired, excited
Highlights: Perplexing, Walter, Tequilas, Bjork wannabes, and the one and only Ana

Funk n Waffles; not quite a music venue and not quite a coffee shop.....we were a bit hesitant that our sound would not be translated well in such a venue, but it nevertheless did. We played to the locals that gave us much needed support and attention.

Had but a mere plain Waffle......covered in enough syrup to wet 20 pancakes......nothing but sweet, sweet sugar in our empty stomachs.

Later at night, we were held captive by a certain individual who took us uptown, downtown, and after numerous rounds of shots of tequila, we found ourselves defeated and more perplexed than Perplex itself. His mission was accomplished, Syracuse was indeed an interesting place and we promised to come back and give him a ring when we do and if we do.....oh Syracuse.

Discovered interesting record shop in downtown, made a mental note to stop by tommorrow morning to pick up some much needed good music for our ride onto our next stop.

Dutch ovens were awaiting us in the hotel room, not only to warm our cold bodies but also our spirits, with laughter, with drunkkard laughter that kept us up into the wee wee hours.

Life on the road.....such beautiful disarray.

Much love to the people of Syracuse and Bitch Cassidy thanks for having us.

Ohhh....Its Been A While

One Halloween Show/Party now in the distant past......we move so over close to our tour of the great upstate New York. Lots of particulars to take care of and lots of caring to be particular about....stocking up on beloved DI boxes being one of them.

Pick up van in JFK
Pick up Band Mates in Manhattan
Get Ass Up to Syracuse in Record Time
Play Show
Have a few Waffles
Go to Sleep
Wake Up
Visit the Niagara Falls
Try to Learn Lyrics to New Song
Set Up
Play Show
Drink
Sleep
Drive


That sums up our next few days......I will let you know how close to this prediction we come.

No fighting boys and girls.......
Syracuse and Buffalo.

Goodbye CMJ....Till We, If We'll Meet Again

And with a flash CMJ is over....almost too quickly and almost too slowly......there was a lot of music to digest at one time, but a decent time had by all.

For all those out there thinking about submitting your application to CMJ next year.....don't...
Connections...
Network.....
Just some clues here.....take them as you will.....
...sadly, truly, and definitely.

Some shows were attended during the week......Yeasayer....www.myspace.com/yeasayer where a standout.....good energy and vibe.....at the Music Hall of Williamsburg during their set.

Wish those guys best of luck as they continue their upward trajectory...

Hi, Can I Get You Some Waffles with a Generous Portion of Strawberries?

One stop on our upstate New York tour has been fully confirmed as of today and this is at Funk N Waffles in Syracuse. We will be performing with Ashley Cox and Perplex. Visit, www.funknwaffles.com for more info. Thankyou to Bitch Cassidy and Ashley Cox for getting us in there, we are looking forward to having an interesting show with you guys!

Two more cities yet still waiting to see if they will go through, Rochester and Buffalo.

Exhaustion slows our thinking down, have multiple identies all competiting for some of my time. Trying to balance it all. The mixing endeavor of our EP continues on.......hopefully, coming to a very, very, near and fast approaching end. We are not rushing things as we want it to sound the best and truest to what we invision as possible. Of course, musicians always struggle to articulate exactly what we hear in our minds, so, compromises have to be made in the end.......but not without a good fight first. :)

No myspacing today....quite tired of it actually at the moment. Will check in later.

Attend the CMJ Deli Magazine Show on Tuesday 10/16 For Free-Email Us

Hey, ohhh, nobody home, no food, no drink, no money have I known.
Yet I'll still be merry, very merry
Hey Ohhh, nobody home (excerpt of a song from my 3rd grade music class)

Well, somethings come together...others dont....

But if you want to attend the CMJ Deli Magazine Showcase Tuesday 10/16/07 at the Delancey and catch amazing bands such as:
Headset
Hot IQs
The Picture
Shade
Soft
The Press
and of course, Bella Noir

Email us at booking@bellanoirmusic.com to get on our guest list....just tell us your name and any guests that will be accompanying you.....

Its that easy......"gee, Wilbur....why are things so gosh darn easy" "Because we love you!"

PS: Still faithfully, scoating Myspace for good music. Did not stumble upon anything I feel like talking about......still hopeful though, still hopeful.

C-ya

New Promotional Items Please

We've got our limited supply of postcards and sample CD's ready for our upcoming shows. A taste of things to come. Random sample, measurement error, variables, and chocolate stuffed croissants, this is the life. Band on brief hiatus, a certain restlessness may or may not be taking over our bodies....we dont want to miss a thing, especially our 15 seconds.

Patience a virtue.
Virtue a pain in the arse.

I think I will go ahead and eat my chocolate croissant. Speakers on computer not working, thus not able to listen to our fellow myspace bands. Been a few weeks and 2 days since a band from myspace caught my attention, via my random selection......ah.....my research design professor would be proud.

Can I get a C, Can I get a M, can I get a J?

C-M-J

thats right, we were selected by the grace of something, someone, someplace, somehow to play the CMJ Deli Magazine Showcase Tuesday, 10/27 at the Delancey, 11:30pm.

It was completely unexpected and we are forever grateful to the something, someone, someplace, somehow, that even put our name into this event.

We promise to make it a good one......and if you ever fancy going into work the next morning shit-faced and tired....then please have a late night with us and come on out.

Speak to you before then.

NYC and Seattle; Which Shall It Be?

NYC and Seattle came out even in regards to best cities to see live music.....never been to Seattle, anybody got anything to say about it specifically?

Well, we are still working on our short Fall Tour.....we've met a few bands who are helping us get out feet in the door, and we thank and love them so.....

Nothing good on myspace tonight....

I am still indebted to books.......4 books to read a week on average........Ive got nobody to blame for myself......long story...ask me about it when I see you again....

Some good news happend for the band today....I wont spill the beans yet.....

Nite

Nothing's Going to Come

I've still been searching via myspace, nothing to report today, but Im still looking.
I've acquired a fascination with Johnny Marr. This all started this past Friday when Modest Mouse played at McCarren Park. I was not at the concert but I heard snippets of the music from my roof and since then Johnny Marr's intense and melodic guitar playing has been in my head all week. This prompted me to search in youtube for a closer look at this darling in action. In doing so, I stumbled across this video:


Or if this video does not work, here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1O2mExBZX8

He definitely brings a new level of creativity and energy to Modest Mouse.
I will be anxiously waiting to meet him some day.

Conclusion

So the conclusion of our brief study is that we all have to eat more breakfast.

That's all.

Ever Had a Train Door Close In Your Face, Even After Running After It

Can someone explain that feeling.....you are walking down the stairs underground in the subway station and you see your train just arrived, so you start walking a little faster and start leaping alittle more down the stairs as you try to avoid plowing anyone in front of you over....and so you run, you stick your hand out to stop the subway train door from closing...but you hear the door close and off the train goes......

Then you start recapping how if you had done things alittle differently, maybe cut a few seconds here and there from your commute to the station, you would have actually made it to the train on time.........

Oh the daily happenings of city life......

So, I did my myspace search thing and bumped across a band that did not impact me very much, thus, I have nothing to say today....but that our shows for the rest of are coming together.......the booking people of NYC have heard our call and they are slowly biting.

Stumbling

So who do I stumble upon my 2nd day randomly selecting myspace bands near my zip...but a band called, Matt Pond PA, www.myspace.com/mattpondpa. Never had heard of them, but apparently I am out of the loop...this band has record deal, have an upcoming show at the Bowery Ballroom and had over 400 hits when I visited their profile.

Their music is not exactly complicated....almost a bit too predictable and reminiscent of previous uptempo pop rock songs via a nice recording budget by big brother the "Record Company" Tongue in cheek lyrics were amusing.....and the singer's voice, who coincidentally is called, Matt Pond" had a voice that ventured between soulful pop to folk rock....

Despite not being exactly my cup of tea, I felt compelled to mention them because of a very simple reason....there songs made me happy for the few minutes I took out to listen to their stuff. I suppose this is why pop music is so popular.......its not complicated and latches onto a part of your human psyche that does not want to be bothered with thoughtful, intense, and complicated things.....

And with that.....I shut down my computer and returned to my world of cynicism, intense, and complicated things.

See y'all.

In The Spirit Of Being Even

Speaking of going out to shows....I'll be venturing to the Luna Lounge tonight...don't know whose playing, how much I'll have to pay at the door, if the bands will blow me away or disappoint....

I am very hard to please in more ways that one....but regardless of what this night turns out to be tonight...before I lay me down to sleep, I will rest in peace knowing I tried to do my part.....of helping venues pay their expensive rents. I'll make sure to have atleast two drinks at the bar...and really help them out....!

I've also decided that every so often, it might be every day or it might be every three months, but I am going to venture into myspace, to do a search of bands from any genre that are within 5 miles of my zipcode of 11211 (which by the way there are 100 pages of bands 5 miles from my zip) and then I am going to select a number from 1-100 and then close my eyes and move my mouse around and stop on any band. If I like them, I will talk about them here and invite them into our little and lovely Bella Noir network, if I don't well, I will keep my mouth shut and just mentioned that I searched today.

So, I am sorry to report that tonight being my first night doing this.........I searched and.........I have opted for the 5th amendment. Well there is always next time.

Randomization a big part of my being......

I've given too much away today...so I will stop.

A Day Late Post

In the search of good places for a band to play in NYC, I realized, what everyone has been realizing for a few years now......the venues are dying off at a rapid rate.....you cant be too selective now.....us bands here have to take the few there are and make the most.....Dont get me wrong, there are still many decent venues at NYC...but I do see the choices decreasing.....

I read an interesting article in this month's issue of the Deli Magazine...and the author was discussing this same issue and he offered a very simple idea, not to remedy this problem, but to help bands and venues stay afloat in these rent increasing times that we all live in....and he simply proposed that more people should make an effort to go out and see bands play, whether its your friends band, co-worker, a band on myspace that you heard and kind of sounds good. Don't just go see those bands that the most reputable blogs tell you are the buzz bands.....

Lets support the small (yet thriving) music scene and the venues that are out there.....I know thats easier said than done....but its worth a kick in the ass to make it happen.

See you all guys around some show in town.

Tour, Ep, Books, Fatigue

Just some thoughts running through my head right now. We have decided to venture into the great big wide open suburban/rural mecca of upstate New York this Fall for a tour. Also, working on lining up our shows for the rest of the year here in NYC.

Booking Staff in NYC, I feel your plight...I really do....but next time you see an email in your inbox from booking@bellanoirmusic.com..... you know....do us both a favor....and well.....you can read the email it explicitly states what we are looking for....lets make a partnership....we've got what you need and you've got what we want...... xo

On other non-related news...apparently I am indebted to books this week, indebted in regards to:
1. $$$$
2. Hours and hours of personal time

It will all work out...

just wait and see....said the Bella to the Noir.