Yup, it’s been too long. It’s been a running joke on here that we pay less attention to this blog than the backlog of alimony payments Craig must have for all the baby-making incidents he’s had throughout the years but it’s time we got caught up.
Not to say that there hasn’t been any news either, because there has been a shit ton. I’ll work in some back-dated blogs in the coming weeks to get our thoughts up to speed on stuff that went down in the past few months but for now, let’s just get everyone up to speed on what the dizzle in the world of Blind Robbery.
First, we have a new website. It’s at the same address as the old website. That’s www.BlindRobbery.com for all you future astronauts that couldn’t figure that one out for yourselves. It’s got a sleek new look for 2011. I’ve always wanted to say that. Anyway, the BR fun page is back in operation so check it out and if you have anything for it, shoot Holmes an email at webmaster@blindrobbery.com.
Second, we are recording the third album and have been since late November. Drum, tracks are almost done and not too shabby I might add. We decided to go the same way we did on Crooked Numbers and record it ourselves, outside of a proper studio and assume full creative control. That’s a nice way of saying that we are broke and enjoy crediting ourselves on the record as ‘producers’ ‘engineers’ and ‘additional cowbell’. The project does not yet have officially have a name but that might not be the case for much longer. We have a tentative release date of Summer 2011.
Third, we are beginning to get around like the sort of crabs that aren’t crustaceans. Click on our gig calendar on the right to see where we can be served with legal papers in a public setting…or you could just come to a show. Info on shows will be posted in the coming days.
Our good friends Elvis & Alfred were decent enough to feature us on their podcast. Get all up in their business here And like them on Facebook. Now, we were decent enough to give them a free plug so I guess we are even.
I was also almost on Chad Kushins’ new podcast called I Hate It Here last night except for the whole part of the show where we use technology to make things happen. Listen to the interview that almost was here . Chad has publicaly stated that he will have me on in the future, but only time will tell.
That’s all that you people are going to get out of me today. I'm going to fix me up a sammich.
-Matt
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Blind Robbery Interview on Junior's Cave Online Magazine!
Hey kids,
Yes, I know that Daddy's been away for a while and he keeps feeding you more empty promises than food as of late but understand that he means well and he's just a man.
What I really mean is that we have been playing a bunch of shows, shooting a bunch of film, editing what we can and lining up some interesting situations that you will want to come and sniff out.
Speaking of which, our interview with Junior's Cave Online Magazine is up but for those too lazy to click on the link, here's the full-text:
Music that is full of heart, soul, and passion are what comes to mind when describing this next band. Our Webzine recently had a chance to review the band’s music and was amazed by the band’s poetic lyrics, melodic tunes, soulful vocals by Lead Man Craig Adams, and skillful lyrics. In this in-depth insightful and intelligent interview, the band reveals many wonderful things about themselves. Here is what transpired.
Isaac: I just listened to one of your songs titled, "Destinies Lost". What was the inspiration for making this song and your new album?
Blind Robbery: It's a little awkward because we don't have a song by that title but we will tell you about the inspiration for our new album “Crooked Numbers”.
First, maybe not foremost but first, we were broke. That might sound a little shady but broke in the sense that we set out to make an album on a shoestring budget to prove to ourselves that we could.
Our first album “Ante Up” was finished five years ago. So, it has been a long time for our fans to wait for the follow up. The first album was done in a studio, with an engineer and a producer and in the end; the sound of the record was one that was very commercial. We still are very proud of the first album and love and play the songs often but we felt at the end of the process that the record reflected the vision of those behind the board as opposed to us behind the instruments.
Through the years in between the first album and this one, we had accumulated somewhere between twenty and thirty songs. Our sound had shifted from a funk influenced hard rock to a more skin and bones blues rock that was also funky. We feel that this record has a more mature feel without sounding geriatric. It's not exactly old but not entirely new either.
This album for us was about taking complete control of the process from start to finish. We knew what we were capable of, the sort of sound that we wanted to get and how we wanted to capture it. Another part of the reason why it took four years to get this album out was that we wanted to get it right. We recorded the tracks for the album I'd say about eight or nine times. We kept scrapping the project and starting again until everything worked. We were able to do this mainly because we weren't paying for studio time or the services of a producer or engineer.
Our bassist, Brian Blum recorded the album mainly in his room. We used his bathtub as a vocal booth. With technology being as accessible as it is today, he used programs on his laptop to create a record that, at least in our minds, sounds as clean as anything else out there. We ditched a lot of the effects that five years ago we were told were absolutely necessary and let the performances speak for themselves. We are lucky to work in an age where this is possible.
Isaac: Who were your influences?
Blind Robbery: We think that it is the people who really enjoy music that end up becoming musicians. That said, we draw upon a wide range of influences. The four of us come from a rock background but some of us like rap more, some like punk more, funk, blues, jazz, folk, whatever it is that Tom Waits does along the way, it's all seeped into our minds and now comes through in our music.
As a band, I'd say that the greatest influences on us are the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Prince, MC5, Jane's Addiction, Guns & Roses, Living Colour, George Thorogood, artists who bring the funk or the blues into their type of rock music and play hard while keeping one foot somewhere else.
It's rare that you find an artist who will reinvent the guitar. When they come along, we all stand in awe of them and rightfully so. The real artistry is taking a little from this and some of that and finding a mix that you can call your own.
Isaac: What do you consider to have been the highlight(s) and lowpoint(s) of your career to date?
Blind Robbery: In a very conventional sense, playing every year at Jones Beach State Park is a highlight. It's right on the water and across the street from a huge venue that holds tens of thousands. Every year, we play to about 1,500 people in a free; all ages show in front of the Atlantic Ocean and to us, there is nothing else like it. That gig reminds us of how lucky we are to be alive and able to play music that people enjoy.
Other than the gig with the most people, we play just as hard in front of 10 people as we do in front of 1,000. We love playing shows outside of the normal everyday bar situation. We have enjoyed playing at weddings, food stores, malls, swap meets; we jammed with a local elected official at a political rally once. Our first major radio airplay was in 2003 during the Northeast Blackout. We drove to the radio station and banged on the door until they let us in and we refused to leave until they played our song. Maybe they figured the boss couldn't email the DJ his termination notice then and there. It's always fun to find a new niche to crawl into, sometimes just to say we did it. To us, those are the most memorable times.
As for a low point, we're sure we are not the only artist to have them and we had a few. The lowest point was last year on the Ides of March. We should have known better than to have booked a show on March 15th. We were set to open for George Clinton and the P-Funk All Stars. This was easily the biggest show in our history. We had hit the streets and the internet promoting this thing like our lives depended on it.
We sold a bunch of tickets, we were ready to go. Then the night before the show, we get a call from the promoter. He tells us the show might not happen. The next day he calls again to tell us the show was off. There was a contract dispute over money and the show was canceled. Our lifelong dream of opening up for an artist that we had looked up to for so long, a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and the plug was pulled. To make matters worse, we had to hunt down the promoter to recoup the ticket money to distribute back to our fans. It turns out that we got a hold of the promoter just in time because he skipped town shortly thereafter. Having to explain the whole situation to all of our fans and relive how we came so close to having the show that we had dreamed about for years fall through the cracks was devastating.
Looking back, it could have been a lot worse but at the time we were furious. We were angry mostly at the business end of how this scene works but we live to play another day.
Isaac: Brief history about your background plus the style of music you play.
Blind Robbery: The roots of this band can be traced back almost 15 years. Craig, our singer and Brian Blum, our bassist are cousins who were forced to see each other weekly at Sunday dinner. Craig had songs and Blum was interested in learning how to record. They wrote a bunch of songs, some of which we pay to this day and in 2002, Blum convinced Craig to take a break from the acoustic circuit and start a band. They found a guitarist in Brian Holmes and a drummer, who would be replaced in 2003 by Matt Jennings.
As for our style, it's a dingy yet delectable plate of Funky Blues Rock piled high and seasoned in smoke and bad decisions. It's a high voltage groove that will smash and thrash while it chumphumps your bump as the bass pastes your face.
Isaac:I love the name Blind Robbery. What is the whole concept behind the name?
It started with an unfortunate encounter at the penitentiary cafeteria when Craig's eye was introduced to the business end of a sharpened toothbrush. But seriously folks, as a kid, Craig had a fictional band called Blind Robbery. While some dreamed about being the starting pitcher for the fill in the blanks, Craig wanted to be a rock star. He would rock out with a karaoke machine in the basement in front of an audience of cardboard cutouts and have his cousin come over and cheer.
So as you can see, the singer's ego is something that forms at an early age. Years later, Blum thought it would be potentially embarrassing to Craig to call the band Blind Robbery. Some nights we feel like we are playing to imaginary crowds but that's another story altogether.
It's also a versatile name. You could easily see a metal band, a blues band or a ska band with our name but we think we do it justice.
Isaac: How do you handle disagreements between the members of the band?
Blind Robbery: It's rare that we have disagreements. We can count the number of arguments that we have had over the past seven years on one hand and we don't really remember what any of them were about. Being a band for as long as we have, we can sense if something isn't right and we talk it out. We know that if one member feels like they are not being heard or they are unhappy then it is going to get worse unless we decide to come to a solution with the quickness.
Isaac: How easy is it to gets gigs for you as an artist? What is the live music scene like in your area?
Blind Robbery: At this stage, after playing shows for as long as we have, it's not difficult to get gigs at least locally. The problem is what happens after the show is booked and that has more to do with the local music scene on Long Island.
We often hear the phrase the “Long Island Music Scene” thrown around in conversation and we are at a point where we are not sure what that even means. What we do see, is a group of literally thousands of bands playing shows in hundreds of venues every weekend and the majority of which, us included sometimes, play to less than 30 people.
We have watched this so called “scene” devolve to a point where the people who do go out want to listen to the new Lady Gaga record or the song by a teenager who we are sure never heard of Mick Jagger until her songwriter put his name into the song she was about to record. It seems like the kids aren't into the rock like they used to be.
The only bands that seem to play to large crowds around these parts are cover bands and tribute bands. For those who don't know the difference, the cover band will play Roadhouse Blues and call it a night. The tribute band leader will legally change his name to Jim Morrison, grow out his hair and play Roadhouse Blues before he moves to France and is found in a bathtub. It puts a heavier weight on being somebody else than to expressing yourself musically and it closes people's minds to a new experience.
On the other hand, the clubs that book live music are operating mainly on a pay-to-play scheme where it costs bands money that they don't necessarily have up front if they want to play in their club. The system inhibits creativity and really sucks whatever rebellion is left out of rock, at least from this vantage point. Pile on the recession and people's understandable unwillingness to spend money on going out and you have our local “scene”. What is lacking is the will to foster creativity. It's more about squeezing the last cent out of whoever has some change in their pocket than it is about music.
It's discouraging but it's not enough to defeat us. Like we mentioned, we can still get gigs and the people who come and see us play are people we wouldn't trade for anything but it is difficult to progress in this environment. Rather than give in to the system that we disagree with, we decided to simply refuse to play in the clubs that use the pay-to-play scheme. Do we know that we could have a great time and play to new people in those larger venues? Sure. For us, it's more important to control a greater share of what we do and how we do it.
Isaac: What do you think of the state of Indie music at the moment? Do you listen to radio much at all? Has the Internet helped music grow or hindered it in your opinion?
Blind Robbery: The state of independent music (and we will call it independent since the word Indie comes with the connotation of being a scene onto itself that has little to do with being an independent) currently is great. As we mentioned earlier, a band like us can make an album in their room for next to nothing without the bureaucracy that comes with a major label. You can present your musical vision across the globe with an infinite shelf life.
If you go into a chain store that sells CDs, notice what albums they carry. It's usually the most recent album and some sort of greatest hits compilation. It's a whole lot easier to find a copy of a Rolling Stones hits compilation than it is to find a copy of Beggar's Banquet. The shelf cannot hold all the music in the major label scheme.
On the other hand, independent artists have found means to distribute their music on a much smaller scale but make the entire catalog available. It's a double edged sword in that we are fairly confident that we will never have the same distribution power as a major label and as a result won't sell as many records. The good news for us is that we get to keep all of the money and all of the rights to the albums that we do sell.
As for the radio, we listen sometimes. We tune into our local college station, WUSB and on occasion we can hear ourselves. On the whole, we think that internet radio and mp3 players have done a lot of damage to the radio as well.
The Internet is another example of looking at both sides of the coin. For independent artists, it provides unparalleled opportunity to release and share music. On the other side, a hurdle that every band has to try to get over is an over-saturation of music on the Internet. Competition is good and it forces someone to rise but grabbing people's attention proves difficult. Ultimately, we are happier to be heard than sold and if we were in this to make money; we would have declared bankruptcy a long time ago and found something else to do with our time.
Isaac: If you could create a fantasy band - what would be the line-up and why?
Blind Robbery: After some intense discussion, we decided on John Bonham on drums, Flea on bass, Prince on guitar and Otis Redding out front. We, in our twisted, caffeine addled, musician minds think it would work and Prince is one of the most underrated guitarists ever.
Isaac: What CD's do you currently have available and where can they be purchased from?
Blind Robbery: We have our 2005 release, “Ante Up” and our latest album “Crooked Numbers”. Both of which are available on iTunes, www.myspace.com/blindrobberyAmazon.com and CDBaby.com
Isaac: Where can fans access your music, videos, blogs, and anything else about you online?
Blind Robbery: We are on Facebook (www.facebook.com/pages/Blind-Robbery/42059228143), MySpace (www.myspace.com/blindrobbery), ReverbNation (www.reverbnation.com/blindrobbery) and at www.BlindRobbery.com. Any of which will suffice to answer your questions or point you in the right direction. We are highly Google-able and enjoy inventing words. Any unanswered queries may be directed at our tick heads by emailing us at blindrobbery@gmail.com.
Isaac: Message to your fans?
Blind Robbery: To put it simply, thanks! We thank our fans for continuing to support us in everything that we do because without them, we are nothing more than a bunch of loudmouths with instruments. Because of them, we are loudmouths with instruments on stage and in the record store. Finally, personal hygiene is important and we promise it will not be another 4 years in between albums!
Yes, I know that Daddy's been away for a while and he keeps feeding you more empty promises than food as of late but understand that he means well and he's just a man.
What I really mean is that we have been playing a bunch of shows, shooting a bunch of film, editing what we can and lining up some interesting situations that you will want to come and sniff out.
Speaking of which, our interview with Junior's Cave Online Magazine is up but for those too lazy to click on the link, here's the full-text:
Music that is full of heart, soul, and passion are what comes to mind when describing this next band. Our Webzine recently had a chance to review the band’s music and was amazed by the band’s poetic lyrics, melodic tunes, soulful vocals by Lead Man Craig Adams, and skillful lyrics. In this in-depth insightful and intelligent interview, the band reveals many wonderful things about themselves. Here is what transpired.
Isaac: I just listened to one of your songs titled, "Destinies Lost". What was the inspiration for making this song and your new album?
Blind Robbery: It's a little awkward because we don't have a song by that title but we will tell you about the inspiration for our new album “Crooked Numbers”.
First, maybe not foremost but first, we were broke. That might sound a little shady but broke in the sense that we set out to make an album on a shoestring budget to prove to ourselves that we could.
Our first album “Ante Up” was finished five years ago. So, it has been a long time for our fans to wait for the follow up. The first album was done in a studio, with an engineer and a producer and in the end; the sound of the record was one that was very commercial. We still are very proud of the first album and love and play the songs often but we felt at the end of the process that the record reflected the vision of those behind the board as opposed to us behind the instruments.
Through the years in between the first album and this one, we had accumulated somewhere between twenty and thirty songs. Our sound had shifted from a funk influenced hard rock to a more skin and bones blues rock that was also funky. We feel that this record has a more mature feel without sounding geriatric. It's not exactly old but not entirely new either.
This album for us was about taking complete control of the process from start to finish. We knew what we were capable of, the sort of sound that we wanted to get and how we wanted to capture it. Another part of the reason why it took four years to get this album out was that we wanted to get it right. We recorded the tracks for the album I'd say about eight or nine times. We kept scrapping the project and starting again until everything worked. We were able to do this mainly because we weren't paying for studio time or the services of a producer or engineer.
Our bassist, Brian Blum recorded the album mainly in his room. We used his bathtub as a vocal booth. With technology being as accessible as it is today, he used programs on his laptop to create a record that, at least in our minds, sounds as clean as anything else out there. We ditched a lot of the effects that five years ago we were told were absolutely necessary and let the performances speak for themselves. We are lucky to work in an age where this is possible.
Isaac: Who were your influences?
Blind Robbery: We think that it is the people who really enjoy music that end up becoming musicians. That said, we draw upon a wide range of influences. The four of us come from a rock background but some of us like rap more, some like punk more, funk, blues, jazz, folk, whatever it is that Tom Waits does along the way, it's all seeped into our minds and now comes through in our music.
As a band, I'd say that the greatest influences on us are the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Prince, MC5, Jane's Addiction, Guns & Roses, Living Colour, George Thorogood, artists who bring the funk or the blues into their type of rock music and play hard while keeping one foot somewhere else.
It's rare that you find an artist who will reinvent the guitar. When they come along, we all stand in awe of them and rightfully so. The real artistry is taking a little from this and some of that and finding a mix that you can call your own.
Isaac: What do you consider to have been the highlight(s) and lowpoint(s) of your career to date?
Blind Robbery: In a very conventional sense, playing every year at Jones Beach State Park is a highlight. It's right on the water and across the street from a huge venue that holds tens of thousands. Every year, we play to about 1,500 people in a free; all ages show in front of the Atlantic Ocean and to us, there is nothing else like it. That gig reminds us of how lucky we are to be alive and able to play music that people enjoy.
Other than the gig with the most people, we play just as hard in front of 10 people as we do in front of 1,000. We love playing shows outside of the normal everyday bar situation. We have enjoyed playing at weddings, food stores, malls, swap meets; we jammed with a local elected official at a political rally once. Our first major radio airplay was in 2003 during the Northeast Blackout. We drove to the radio station and banged on the door until they let us in and we refused to leave until they played our song. Maybe they figured the boss couldn't email the DJ his termination notice then and there. It's always fun to find a new niche to crawl into, sometimes just to say we did it. To us, those are the most memorable times.
As for a low point, we're sure we are not the only artist to have them and we had a few. The lowest point was last year on the Ides of March. We should have known better than to have booked a show on March 15th. We were set to open for George Clinton and the P-Funk All Stars. This was easily the biggest show in our history. We had hit the streets and the internet promoting this thing like our lives depended on it.
We sold a bunch of tickets, we were ready to go. Then the night before the show, we get a call from the promoter. He tells us the show might not happen. The next day he calls again to tell us the show was off. There was a contract dispute over money and the show was canceled. Our lifelong dream of opening up for an artist that we had looked up to for so long, a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and the plug was pulled. To make matters worse, we had to hunt down the promoter to recoup the ticket money to distribute back to our fans. It turns out that we got a hold of the promoter just in time because he skipped town shortly thereafter. Having to explain the whole situation to all of our fans and relive how we came so close to having the show that we had dreamed about for years fall through the cracks was devastating.
Looking back, it could have been a lot worse but at the time we were furious. We were angry mostly at the business end of how this scene works but we live to play another day.
Isaac: Brief history about your background plus the style of music you play.
Blind Robbery: The roots of this band can be traced back almost 15 years. Craig, our singer and Brian Blum, our bassist are cousins who were forced to see each other weekly at Sunday dinner. Craig had songs and Blum was interested in learning how to record. They wrote a bunch of songs, some of which we pay to this day and in 2002, Blum convinced Craig to take a break from the acoustic circuit and start a band. They found a guitarist in Brian Holmes and a drummer, who would be replaced in 2003 by Matt Jennings.
As for our style, it's a dingy yet delectable plate of Funky Blues Rock piled high and seasoned in smoke and bad decisions. It's a high voltage groove that will smash and thrash while it chumphumps your bump as the bass pastes your face.
Isaac:I love the name Blind Robbery. What is the whole concept behind the name?
It started with an unfortunate encounter at the penitentiary cafeteria when Craig's eye was introduced to the business end of a sharpened toothbrush. But seriously folks, as a kid, Craig had a fictional band called Blind Robbery. While some dreamed about being the starting pitcher for the fill in the blanks, Craig wanted to be a rock star. He would rock out with a karaoke machine in the basement in front of an audience of cardboard cutouts and have his cousin come over and cheer.
So as you can see, the singer's ego is something that forms at an early age. Years later, Blum thought it would be potentially embarrassing to Craig to call the band Blind Robbery. Some nights we feel like we are playing to imaginary crowds but that's another story altogether.
It's also a versatile name. You could easily see a metal band, a blues band or a ska band with our name but we think we do it justice.
Isaac: How do you handle disagreements between the members of the band?
Blind Robbery: It's rare that we have disagreements. We can count the number of arguments that we have had over the past seven years on one hand and we don't really remember what any of them were about. Being a band for as long as we have, we can sense if something isn't right and we talk it out. We know that if one member feels like they are not being heard or they are unhappy then it is going to get worse unless we decide to come to a solution with the quickness.
Isaac: How easy is it to gets gigs for you as an artist? What is the live music scene like in your area?
Blind Robbery: At this stage, after playing shows for as long as we have, it's not difficult to get gigs at least locally. The problem is what happens after the show is booked and that has more to do with the local music scene on Long Island.
We often hear the phrase the “Long Island Music Scene” thrown around in conversation and we are at a point where we are not sure what that even means. What we do see, is a group of literally thousands of bands playing shows in hundreds of venues every weekend and the majority of which, us included sometimes, play to less than 30 people.
We have watched this so called “scene” devolve to a point where the people who do go out want to listen to the new Lady Gaga record or the song by a teenager who we are sure never heard of Mick Jagger until her songwriter put his name into the song she was about to record. It seems like the kids aren't into the rock like they used to be.
The only bands that seem to play to large crowds around these parts are cover bands and tribute bands. For those who don't know the difference, the cover band will play Roadhouse Blues and call it a night. The tribute band leader will legally change his name to Jim Morrison, grow out his hair and play Roadhouse Blues before he moves to France and is found in a bathtub. It puts a heavier weight on being somebody else than to expressing yourself musically and it closes people's minds to a new experience.
On the other hand, the clubs that book live music are operating mainly on a pay-to-play scheme where it costs bands money that they don't necessarily have up front if they want to play in their club. The system inhibits creativity and really sucks whatever rebellion is left out of rock, at least from this vantage point. Pile on the recession and people's understandable unwillingness to spend money on going out and you have our local “scene”. What is lacking is the will to foster creativity. It's more about squeezing the last cent out of whoever has some change in their pocket than it is about music.
It's discouraging but it's not enough to defeat us. Like we mentioned, we can still get gigs and the people who come and see us play are people we wouldn't trade for anything but it is difficult to progress in this environment. Rather than give in to the system that we disagree with, we decided to simply refuse to play in the clubs that use the pay-to-play scheme. Do we know that we could have a great time and play to new people in those larger venues? Sure. For us, it's more important to control a greater share of what we do and how we do it.
Isaac: What do you think of the state of Indie music at the moment? Do you listen to radio much at all? Has the Internet helped music grow or hindered it in your opinion?
Blind Robbery: The state of independent music (and we will call it independent since the word Indie comes with the connotation of being a scene onto itself that has little to do with being an independent) currently is great. As we mentioned earlier, a band like us can make an album in their room for next to nothing without the bureaucracy that comes with a major label. You can present your musical vision across the globe with an infinite shelf life.
If you go into a chain store that sells CDs, notice what albums they carry. It's usually the most recent album and some sort of greatest hits compilation. It's a whole lot easier to find a copy of a Rolling Stones hits compilation than it is to find a copy of Beggar's Banquet. The shelf cannot hold all the music in the major label scheme.
On the other hand, independent artists have found means to distribute their music on a much smaller scale but make the entire catalog available. It's a double edged sword in that we are fairly confident that we will never have the same distribution power as a major label and as a result won't sell as many records. The good news for us is that we get to keep all of the money and all of the rights to the albums that we do sell.
As for the radio, we listen sometimes. We tune into our local college station, WUSB and on occasion we can hear ourselves. On the whole, we think that internet radio and mp3 players have done a lot of damage to the radio as well.
The Internet is another example of looking at both sides of the coin. For independent artists, it provides unparalleled opportunity to release and share music. On the other side, a hurdle that every band has to try to get over is an over-saturation of music on the Internet. Competition is good and it forces someone to rise but grabbing people's attention proves difficult. Ultimately, we are happier to be heard than sold and if we were in this to make money; we would have declared bankruptcy a long time ago and found something else to do with our time.
Isaac: If you could create a fantasy band - what would be the line-up and why?
Blind Robbery: After some intense discussion, we decided on John Bonham on drums, Flea on bass, Prince on guitar and Otis Redding out front. We, in our twisted, caffeine addled, musician minds think it would work and Prince is one of the most underrated guitarists ever.
Isaac: What CD's do you currently have available and where can they be purchased from?
Blind Robbery: We have our 2005 release, “Ante Up” and our latest album “Crooked Numbers”. Both of which are available on iTunes, www.myspace.com/blindrobberyAmazon.com and CDBaby.com
Isaac: Where can fans access your music, videos, blogs, and anything else about you online?
Blind Robbery: We are on Facebook (www.facebook.com/pages/Blind-Robbery/42059228143), MySpace (www.myspace.com/blindrobbery), ReverbNation (www.reverbnation.com/blindrobbery) and at www.BlindRobbery.com. Any of which will suffice to answer your questions or point you in the right direction. We are highly Google-able and enjoy inventing words. Any unanswered queries may be directed at our tick heads by emailing us at blindrobbery@gmail.com.
Isaac: Message to your fans?
Blind Robbery: To put it simply, thanks! We thank our fans for continuing to support us in everything that we do because without them, we are nothing more than a bunch of loudmouths with instruments. Because of them, we are loudmouths with instruments on stage and in the record store. Finally, personal hygiene is important and we promise it will not be another 4 years in between albums!
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Show Recap – March 6th at Dempsey’s in East Meadow
Daaaaaaamn, editing videos is a pain in the ass. Even if I am using stock software from a certain giant corporation who will not get a free plug here. All in all, it just means that assholes like us have new ways to record and broadcast our attempts at hooliganism to you in new and exciting ways.
Speaking of hooligans, we got to play a show with our two favorite bands of weirdos: Slick River and Harold’s Trousers. We suggest you examine them thoroughly. I’m talking a full cavity search. Don’t stop till you reach the back of their teeth!
Dempsey’s is a bar & grill which means booze with food. Grill= bar with food and Lounge=bar with couches YaDig? They have not had bands in a while but I think we gave them good enough reason to have bands back more often.
Grandma was sporting a Crooked Numbers shirt. Very fashionable. Yozay gets an “improvement in work is noted” mark on his report card from the Doc. The River was even good enough to get their work captured by me on this here video:
And this one:
And this one:
The Trousers were also great as always and I have their stuff on video but like all nice things…we can’t have them. At least not without editing.
We went on last and played to a minimal crowd which doesn’t really matter much to us. The Trou and the River were there and that’s all we really care about…showing off in front of our friends.
We had the chance to pull a stunt that we had been working on for a month. Since video evidence was not collected, I can say no more. It is well worth the surprise. Though I will say that Mikey Bell and Yozay learned their lesson.
The night ended with Docta Shocka, followed by me driving Craig home while listening to the Jerky Boys on the Southern State. So much for our Rock & Roll Lifestyle right?
I am told that we will have another gig with the same lineup on April 3rd if I’m not mistaken. Keep fucking that chicken right here for updates.
YaDig?
Matt
Speaking of hooligans, we got to play a show with our two favorite bands of weirdos: Slick River and Harold’s Trousers. We suggest you examine them thoroughly. I’m talking a full cavity search. Don’t stop till you reach the back of their teeth!
Dempsey’s is a bar & grill which means booze with food. Grill= bar with food and Lounge=bar with couches YaDig? They have not had bands in a while but I think we gave them good enough reason to have bands back more often.
Grandma was sporting a Crooked Numbers shirt. Very fashionable. Yozay gets an “improvement in work is noted” mark on his report card from the Doc. The River was even good enough to get their work captured by me on this here video:
And this one:
And this one:
The Trousers were also great as always and I have their stuff on video but like all nice things…we can’t have them. At least not without editing.
We went on last and played to a minimal crowd which doesn’t really matter much to us. The Trou and the River were there and that’s all we really care about…showing off in front of our friends.
We had the chance to pull a stunt that we had been working on for a month. Since video evidence was not collected, I can say no more. It is well worth the surprise. Though I will say that Mikey Bell and Yozay learned their lesson.
The night ended with Docta Shocka, followed by me driving Craig home while listening to the Jerky Boys on the Southern State. So much for our Rock & Roll Lifestyle right?
I am told that we will have another gig with the same lineup on April 3rd if I’m not mistaken. Keep fucking that chicken right here for updates.
YaDig?
Matt
Friday, March 12, 2010
Show recap - March 5th at the National Underground in NYC
You like these new toys on the right side of this blog? We do too. They are from our site at Reverbnation…and we get credit for every time you click on them so fondle away kiddies!
Anyways, we are back on proverbial track so to speak. We played two shows so far this month and if you were at either of them…we should recap because chances are you woke up with a hand somewhere you may not want to remember. We’ll start with Friday the 5th.
On the 5th, we were back in NYC at the National Underground. I was checking out their calendar in the afternoon when I realized that Chris Barron from the Spin Doctors was playing the same club…at the same time and we were not on the calendar. I freaked out until I realized that there are two floors and we are just that undistinguished I suppose. Then I was pissed that we would be playing at the same time and that we would miss his set.
Turns out, homeboy needed to take the pizzle and goes to the basement to do so. Holmes claims Barron spilled his beer but I think he’s full of shit. Craig and Blum didn’t notice. Blum was in game mode and was trying to set up.
Me on the other hand, I’m standing outside the pisscan trying to figure out what to say. My initial thought was “Hey, so I gotta know. Did you ever give it to Lois Lane or what?” I kept thinking that anything would be better than what I had used a minute earlier. “Yep, that’s the bathroom. Nope, it’s not in use but if it were we’d drag them out pissing and screaming because that is the rock star treatment you are entitled to.” Looking back, that wasn’t bad. When he emerged, I went with “Hey, so I don’t want to be the guy who corners you outside a bathroom in the basement of a venue, but I guess I am.”
I told him we were playing and what we are called. He vanished to the upstairs venue. We played and played hard. We chased whatever scarf-wearing hipsters that were lingering the hell outta there. We played about 6 songs and were told to stop. I guess when you scream about the Tony Danza and Keep fucking that chicken in between each song only to have the drunkenist people that the club has ever seen join in while humping the floors and walls, some people take offense.
We get done playing and Blum and Craig piss off to catch the train. Me and Holmes are left on the street with Colin in an inebriated state to say the least. The result…carney barking for Chris Barron. You can see some of it here:
Tired+Drunk+Obnoxious+Chris Barron= Instant concert promoters.
The bouncers left their posts after about 30 minutes of this. I guess we did a decent job. We got upwards of 25 people in the door.
After we were done with that (and discussing the best way to market nicotine tampons with a guy on the street kinda like this piss-soaked funnel), we got in the car and drove back home. We later found out that Craig Adams had an interesting time after the show. Video footage of that will be coming shortly.
YaDig?
Matt
Anyways, we are back on proverbial track so to speak. We played two shows so far this month and if you were at either of them…we should recap because chances are you woke up with a hand somewhere you may not want to remember. We’ll start with Friday the 5th.
On the 5th, we were back in NYC at the National Underground. I was checking out their calendar in the afternoon when I realized that Chris Barron from the Spin Doctors was playing the same club…at the same time and we were not on the calendar. I freaked out until I realized that there are two floors and we are just that undistinguished I suppose. Then I was pissed that we would be playing at the same time and that we would miss his set.
Turns out, homeboy needed to take the pizzle and goes to the basement to do so. Holmes claims Barron spilled his beer but I think he’s full of shit. Craig and Blum didn’t notice. Blum was in game mode and was trying to set up.
Me on the other hand, I’m standing outside the pisscan trying to figure out what to say. My initial thought was “Hey, so I gotta know. Did you ever give it to Lois Lane or what?” I kept thinking that anything would be better than what I had used a minute earlier. “Yep, that’s the bathroom. Nope, it’s not in use but if it were we’d drag them out pissing and screaming because that is the rock star treatment you are entitled to.” Looking back, that wasn’t bad. When he emerged, I went with “Hey, so I don’t want to be the guy who corners you outside a bathroom in the basement of a venue, but I guess I am.”
I told him we were playing and what we are called. He vanished to the upstairs venue. We played and played hard. We chased whatever scarf-wearing hipsters that were lingering the hell outta there. We played about 6 songs and were told to stop. I guess when you scream about the Tony Danza and Keep fucking that chicken in between each song only to have the drunkenist people that the club has ever seen join in while humping the floors and walls, some people take offense.
We get done playing and Blum and Craig piss off to catch the train. Me and Holmes are left on the street with Colin in an inebriated state to say the least. The result…carney barking for Chris Barron. You can see some of it here:
Tired+Drunk+Obnoxious+Chris Barron= Instant concert promoters.
The bouncers left their posts after about 30 minutes of this. I guess we did a decent job. We got upwards of 25 people in the door.
After we were done with that (and discussing the best way to market nicotine tampons with a guy on the street kinda like this piss-soaked funnel), we got in the car and drove back home. We later found out that Craig Adams had an interesting time after the show. Video footage of that will be coming shortly.
YaDig?
Matt
Sunday, February 7, 2010
No Rest for the Robbery...Really.
Well kiddies, I promised an update in the less than distant future so here it goes. We have been getting a few questions and would like to take the opportunity to clear up some things. First of all, you may be wondering what we have been up to and why you haven't been hounded on various social networking sites as of late by us demanding attendance at a BR show.
The short answer is that we have taken brief show hiatus for the month of February. Don't despair brothers and sisters, Blind Robbery will be back in action in the month of March. We will be in NYC on the 5th, in East Meadow on the 6th with the mighty Harold's Trousers and Slick River and back in the Boston area when we play unplugged in Somerville on the 21st. More shows are on the way including private parties, new clubs and possibly a show at SUNY Stony Brook. We have been working the phones and emails this month, talking a good game with the intention of opening up new ways to back it up across the Island. Sort of like John Locke but without the smoke moster...and with music...and well, maybe not much like John Locke after all.
So, why the break in the schedule you may ask. Don't we have an album out that we should be promoting? Ah, not dumb questions. There are a few reasons that are for the most part business related.
Mainly, we have had difficulties with our schedules. Stuff happens and we must adapt. We all have been trying to find ways to balance all of the junk we have in life. Luckily, the band is on the same page and although we aren't playing shows, it is no indication that we have stopped working. We have been working the internets like a 3rd world assembly line. Check out our new site at Reverbnation where we came out of ovblivion to reach the 69 spot on the local Rock charts as of the time of this post.
We have been updating our press kit, working on revamping the website, designing new merch, getting our legal house in order and adding to our set. Surprises are on the way. I'm saying there may or may not be some sort of Blind Robbery DVD in the works. Just saying.
Now, we do have a new album out and we recommend that you purchase it. It's called Crooked Numbers and we will never have any shame about promoting it. YaDig? We have been putting the finishing touches on the album art and scrounging up the money to send it for CD production. Our goal is to have the finished copies in our hands by the end of the month. We hope they will be in your hands shortly thereafter. Until then, you can purchase Crooked Numbers on itunes and for all of you that are not into the apple thing, we have you covered. You can now purchase Crooked Numbers at Amazon.
On another note, I have returned to drum lessons , studying once again under the tutelage of Meat Loaf drummer, John Miceli. They say that when the student is ready, the master will appear. It has been seven years since I last saw John but from the past three weeks of study, it's as if we hadn't skipped a beat. No, I did not plan that lame ass pun. Anyway, if you thought I was bad before, I'ma be downright nasty soon.
Any other questions for us, send em to the mailbag at blindrobbery@gmail.com.
Thanks to everyone who continues to make this band happen.. Halloweaster info is on the way so stay tuned.
-Matt
The short answer is that we have taken brief show hiatus for the month of February. Don't despair brothers and sisters, Blind Robbery will be back in action in the month of March. We will be in NYC on the 5th, in East Meadow on the 6th with the mighty Harold's Trousers and Slick River and back in the Boston area when we play unplugged in Somerville on the 21st. More shows are on the way including private parties, new clubs and possibly a show at SUNY Stony Brook. We have been working the phones and emails this month, talking a good game with the intention of opening up new ways to back it up across the Island. Sort of like John Locke but without the smoke moster...and with music...and well, maybe not much like John Locke after all.
So, why the break in the schedule you may ask. Don't we have an album out that we should be promoting? Ah, not dumb questions. There are a few reasons that are for the most part business related.
Mainly, we have had difficulties with our schedules. Stuff happens and we must adapt. We all have been trying to find ways to balance all of the junk we have in life. Luckily, the band is on the same page and although we aren't playing shows, it is no indication that we have stopped working. We have been working the internets like a 3rd world assembly line. Check out our new site at Reverbnation where we came out of ovblivion to reach the 69 spot on the local Rock charts as of the time of this post.
We have been updating our press kit, working on revamping the website, designing new merch, getting our legal house in order and adding to our set. Surprises are on the way. I'm saying there may or may not be some sort of Blind Robbery DVD in the works. Just saying.
Now, we do have a new album out and we recommend that you purchase it. It's called Crooked Numbers and we will never have any shame about promoting it. YaDig? We have been putting the finishing touches on the album art and scrounging up the money to send it for CD production. Our goal is to have the finished copies in our hands by the end of the month. We hope they will be in your hands shortly thereafter. Until then, you can purchase Crooked Numbers on itunes and for all of you that are not into the apple thing, we have you covered. You can now purchase Crooked Numbers at Amazon.
On another note, I have returned to drum lessons , studying once again under the tutelage of Meat Loaf drummer, John Miceli. They say that when the student is ready, the master will appear. It has been seven years since I last saw John but from the past three weeks of study, it's as if we hadn't skipped a beat. No, I did not plan that lame ass pun. Anyway, if you thought I was bad before, I'ma be downright nasty soon.
Any other questions for us, send em to the mailbag at blindrobbery@gmail.com.
Thanks to everyone who continues to make this band happen.. Halloweaster info is on the way so stay tuned.
-Matt
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Back to the Burren in Somerville MA
Apologies for the lack of posting. My only New Years Resolution is to avoid making them so it follows that I am a lazy bastard. More importantly, we are back on track and expect more updates from us in the days and weeks ahead. In fact, I have been known to update to the point of restraining order so...be forewarned.
This brings us to future plans. We are getting ready to go back up to the Boston area for our third trip. This will mark the second time that we played The Burren in Somerville. http://www.burren.com/ for those interested.
We will be playing an unplugged set on Sunday March 21, 2010. 21+, No cover but we will be passing around the old tip jar to make gas money for the trip.
There will also be candlepin bowling which is a pastime that should occur round these here parts more often. We hear it's a New England thing. Look it up if you are still confused and bask in its glory.
So...if you are going to be up in the greater Boston area around the start of Spring, come check us out. Tip the waitress and try the scrod!
Meanwhile...I found a show review from the first time we went up to The Burren by either Craig or Holmes that I am reposting. I hear Craig's voice in my head as I read it so I think it's him.
Enjoy or die.
-Matt
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
THE BURREN REVIEW....
Current mood: crunk
unfortunate to say, this band doesnt get to travel enough (hey kids! rock music dont pay shit) and the day jobs prevent any extensive touring etc... but since im fortunate enough to be in a band where there are four hearts pumping the love of music through our veins, every now and then when we get the chance we leave the normal long island hustle and dig into our pockets to take a little road trip with the soul intentions of the thrill of playing in a new town.
boston mass showed us a great time, we had alot of fun stuffing our faces with baked scrod at 99(the resturaunt next to the hotel...what are the odds" candlestick bowling, and just enjoying being friends and family, and i couldnt have asked for a better way to end our weekend then with the show we played.
thankful that it was a sit down acoustic show cause our dogs were barkin from wandering around downtown boston in circles we played a most enjoyable set opening with "splitsville" then jammin away on "3 cheers for circumstance", "nasty feathers", "hell on wheels", "foolish me", "99", "mexican standoff", and "sexy mf"..the crowd at the burren was very receptive to us and we were glad to see we were well recieved and as i said that night the folks in that room that night were the nicest people we met in boston. thanks to them, thanks to the one and only tom bianchi for setting us up with the show, thanks to jenna and mike for comin out to the show...it was awesome to see you guys.
This brings us to future plans. We are getting ready to go back up to the Boston area for our third trip. This will mark the second time that we played The Burren in Somerville. http://www.burren.com/ for those interested.
We will be playing an unplugged set on Sunday March 21, 2010. 21+, No cover but we will be passing around the old tip jar to make gas money for the trip.
There will also be candlepin bowling which is a pastime that should occur round these here parts more often. We hear it's a New England thing. Look it up if you are still confused and bask in its glory.
So...if you are going to be up in the greater Boston area around the start of Spring, come check us out. Tip the waitress and try the scrod!
Meanwhile...I found a show review from the first time we went up to The Burren by either Craig or Holmes that I am reposting. I hear Craig's voice in my head as I read it so I think it's him.
Enjoy or die.
-Matt
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
THE BURREN REVIEW....
Current mood: crunk
unfortunate to say, this band doesnt get to travel enough (hey kids! rock music dont pay shit) and the day jobs prevent any extensive touring etc... but since im fortunate enough to be in a band where there are four hearts pumping the love of music through our veins, every now and then when we get the chance we leave the normal long island hustle and dig into our pockets to take a little road trip with the soul intentions of the thrill of playing in a new town.
boston mass showed us a great time, we had alot of fun stuffing our faces with baked scrod at 99(the resturaunt next to the hotel...what are the odds" candlestick bowling, and just enjoying being friends and family, and i couldnt have asked for a better way to end our weekend then with the show we played.
thankful that it was a sit down acoustic show cause our dogs were barkin from wandering around downtown boston in circles we played a most enjoyable set opening with "splitsville" then jammin away on "3 cheers for circumstance", "nasty feathers", "hell on wheels", "foolish me", "99", "mexican standoff", and "sexy mf"..the crowd at the burren was very receptive to us and we were glad to see we were well recieved and as i said that night the folks in that room that night were the nicest people we met in boston. thanks to them, thanks to the one and only tom bianchi for setting us up with the show, thanks to jenna and mike for comin out to the show...it was awesome to see you guys.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Black Friday at the Zebra Club Recap
Daaaaamn. That's what comes to mind about last night's show. First and foremost, we have some thanking to do.
Thanks to Patty Dodge at PDT Productions for booking the show. http://www.myspace.com/pattydt is where she operates and I must say on behalf of all of us at Blind Robbery, Patty is exactly what a promoter should be. She doesn't give us any nonsense about ticket sales and we never owe her money at the end of the night, unlike a lot of the other pay-to-play promoters on this Island. Even better, Patty actually promotes the shows! Imagine that! We got some publicity on this thing too. WBAB and GoodTimes Magazine are always fine by us.
Thanks to the Zebra Club in Copiague for housing us for the evening.
Thanks to Patty Dodge at PDT Productions for booking the show. http://www.myspace.com/pattydt is where she operates and I must say on behalf of all of us at Blind Robbery, Patty is exactly what a promoter should be. She doesn't give us any nonsense about ticket sales and we never owe her money at the end of the night, unlike a lot of the other pay-to-play promoters on this Island. Even better, Patty actually promotes the shows! Imagine that! We got some publicity on this thing too. WBAB and GoodTimes Magazine are always fine by us.
Thanks to the Zebra Club in Copiague for housing us for the evening.
Most importantly, thanks to eveyone who showed up last night. Vinny, Bill, Chris Weeks, Deanna 'Queen Freakazoid', Tara, Kate, Steph, Lianne, Gavin, Lauren, Dave White Eagle and in case I forgot anyone we thank you too.
We busted out of the gate with Hollywood and ended with Docta Shocka covering 3 Little Pigs by Green Jelly. We played Darling Nikki, The Distance, Sexy MF, Your Monkey, Ciao Bella, To The Moon, Sinister Waltz, What Am I To Do among others.
Perhaps the most memorable portion of the evening was the addition of a go-go dancer to our set. Craig and I went to ask Patty if we could load in and she countered with “We have a go-go dancer who wants to dance during your set. Is that OK?” The answer was...Matt: “Does the Pope shit in the woods?” Craig: “Of course!”
PS, Long story short, Black Friday at the Zebra was some good times. We kicked out the Jams and had a great time.
Next show is about 95% set up. It looks like it is going to be around the same neck of the woods in Lindenhurst at Lefty's this coming Friday, December 5th.
Until then,
Dig our music:
Dig our merchandise:
Dig our Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Blind-Robbery/42059228143?ref=ts#/pages/Blind-Robbery/42059228143
-Matt
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