here's to a new year

It's been a long time since any of us updated the blog. But with the list of "resolutions" growing by the second so far today (Jan 1, 2010) I can tell you that one of them is to blog more this year...and to document more this year.

Some interesting things have happened in the past 4 months that we'll be talking about very shortly.

Most importantly we are coming out of the dark, with new songs, new tour dates being planned, a new record being recorded and more exciting announcements.

For now, I'll keep it short.

Happy New Years.

We love you very much and cannot wait to see you again.

Love,

Woody

honest

it's pretty typical of anyone who keeps a blog and goes on a lengthy break from contributing to/writing on it to begin their next post with an apology and/or a reason for being absent. so let's skip that part...also rather than detailing everything we've been up to since we last posted, let us just dive into what are future looks like.
we are currently very excited because we have a series of great opportunities ahead of us.

we have been writing songs over the past year while touring, rehearsing, etc that we really want to record. thankfully we will be entering the studio for the next couple of weeks and next month. it is very exciting to be back into the recording process. it is such a different aspect of being a musician, and since we lack the funds to build our own studio (right now) we don't get to do it quite as often as we would prefer.
the world around us is changing, and because of the type of writers we are even meeting new people and having experiences on the road...or even books that we've read over the past few months, we have so much that inspires us. because of all these influences, new/different gear, I can promise you...the reader/friend/fan/listener that our new songs and recordings are going to be different.
bands promise people all the time that they are taking a fresh approach to either recording or writing...and to say it even seems like a stale and overused description of what our vision for the future of The Modern Society is/will be. however, even speaking personally...there will be changes, there will be a different approach to recording...it is what helps keep things fresh, new, entertaining, etc.
For the most part we have dug into records deeper than we ever have before...making mental notes and really thinking about how to appropriately create and represent our songs in a recording...we will be (for the most part) taking this endeavor on ourselves, which we have (up to this point) never really done (besides tape demos we do in Tyler's loft) and that too is very exciting.
all in all this is your update. I write it in hopes that you will be as excited as we are.

much love turtle dove,

woody

New Footage/New Merchandise

We are very excited to announce the debut of some footage shot recently as part of the on going/up coming documentary being filmed about us this year...details regarding the doc will be up soon, but the long and short of it is that we will have a page on www.cinsay.com that you can not only purchase brand new Merch, but also view exclusive videos (music vids, live footage and behind the scenes).
Please take a look at the 1st episode here:
http://www.cinsay.com/#episodefs000080000i4e69ie4g000000

There are a few merchandise items available now, but more should be coming within the next week or so.

We love you all.

.: w :.

exploding tires

Often times we get inquiries about "what it's like to be in a touring band". We answer quickly with all the fun stories including all the near misses and funny encounters.

Maybe it's a story about Thomas sleep walking in our New York hotel and waking up in the elevator, Chris getting lost and disappearing for hours in nearly every city while talking on his cell phone in the wee hours of the morning, Tyler and Woody fighting in the parking lot of a pre-festival party...

This weekend however, we had one of those "DEAR GOD, WHAT JUST HAPPENED...I THINK WE ALMOST DIED" moments, TWICE.

We were in route to Charleston, South Carolina when our rear right tire decided to blow out. Here is what it looked like.

As you can see, it was pretty gnarly...but it wasn't that bad...it just sounded rough...
so we slowly drove to the next exit (it was only about a quarter mile) and began to change the tire. Now for those of you readers up in the northern half of the US or located elsewhere...South Carolina in the summer gets pretty sticky and HOT!
So there we are in the middle of a truck stop, changing a tire...and having serious troubles with our stupid jack. Finally we got it changed (with a little help from a super cool truck driver, who by the way "used to tour with Black Oak Arkansas" or something like that) and we headed back on the road...thanking God for our safety.

We started watching the rest of the episode of Arrested Development that we were watching...driving pretty smoothly for the next hour or so...we were running late but decided we'd call the venue when our load in time came and gone and we would gage how far we were from the venue.

Then out of nowhere "KABOOM"...I began to lose control of the van (which was located in the "fast lane" of the interstate and going about 85). I tried to apply the brakes...nothing...
I got us safely to the shoulder somehow (guardian angels) and there it was on the right side, waiting for me as we exited the van. That's Chris's hand in the way, but you get the idea...no more spare tire.
Long story short, we had to cancel the Charleston show b/c it took almost 2 hours for the tow truck to come and when we got to the next town (coincidentally Columbia, SC where are next night's show was) it was too late to get to Charleston.

We came out of it safe and alive and for that we were so thankful, and ended up having an incredible show in Columbia and met a bunch of new friends.
We will be back in Charleston and Columbia on July 9th and July 11th...can't wait...we just hope these new tires hold up :)
So boys and girls and everyone that wonders what it's like to be a rock n' roll band on tour before the days of stadiums and buses...please read this blog and spread the word...sometimes it's just down right dangerous, of course none of us would change it for a second.

=w=

geronimo

our only tour date in Atlanta until this Fall is the perfect start to our summer tour. we can't wait to play our newest songs, one of which we just wrote today...

w.

i feel summer creepin in...

beautiful weather here in the great state of Georgia...blue skies, listened to some Roger Miller and got excited about the upcoming summer.
we'll be touring a good bit in the summer, and practically constant in the Fall...just can't wait to be back out on the road.
what are we doing in the meantime?
well rehearsing of course, but we've also written a slew of new songs...a few of which we debuted at SXSW and got an incredible response. so i'm sure we'll be headed into the studio in May to lay some of them down (and perhaps lend them to your ears)
there are also some new and exciting things coming very very soon that we can't really talk about just yet, mostly because we wouldn't want to spoil the surprise...
i must say that generally i'm a fan of winter, but this year it really took a toll on me. the warm breeze today was just what i needed. 86 degrees F. felt mighty good, although i'm sure i'll be complaining about the heat and praying for fall soon enough.
off to write some more music. can't wait to see all those faces this summer/fall.
love you,
woody

Really?!? Snow?!?!

I hate cold weather...and I HATE the wind even more!!!!!!!!!!!



...God, this better be gone by tomorrow!

ty(MOSO)

Happy Birthday Thomas

WE LOVE YOU LITTLE BROTHER

Happy Birthday Chris (aka "boo boo")

WE LOVE YOU BROTHER

meanwhile far away in another part of town...

So around this time last year we were out in Los Angeles...today I battled with cold, rainy weather, things we never came across in sunny LA.
I thumbed through my journal today in a moment of nostalgia.
Here's an entry I found in between pages of song lyrics we wrote in the studio, literally in between a hand written note from Kay Hanley (yes she swiped my journal, I later found out) and lyrics to "Mona Lisa"

Dated: 03/2008 (I couldn't read the day on the date...strange ink smudge)

Today was a particularly good day. Thomas and I woke up early and walked down the block to our favorite coffee spot...ok really just the closest one to the hotel. We spotted that dude from "Thank You For Smoking", I don't remember his name but I think he's playing Two-Face in the new Batman movie. I've never been good at remembering celeb names.
We microwaved some old chocolate pastries we had laying around the hotel...not a good idea, much better fresh.
Man this iced black coffee is great!
Our rental car is amazing...Dodge Caliber, perfect gas mileage. If we get a day off I think we'll drive up to Zuma and lay in the sand for the day.
Went to Canter's Deli, well the Kibitz Room last night, met some amazing old school musicians playing some serious blues rock...amazing. The bar tenders are really cool there and the atmosphere is anti-hollywood, which is just what we're looking for.
We stayed out way too late though and my throat feels like I swallowed a cactus...maybe I did, I don't remember.
The satellite radio stations we listen to: Rolling Stones Radio, Indie Rock & Bruce Springsteen.
I need a Hite!
Off to the studio, we're running late and Stacy's already called us...we usually beat him there, ha.
-Woody-

This brought it all back in a flash...Doc Brown, where are you with your Delorean?

-woody