Sewing Machines

All over the internet

sewingmachinesmusic — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 00:14:28 +0000

Hey guys,

After a really sweet blogpost from Folk Hive linked to this site, I realized I haven’t updated in a while. I’ll try to be better about updating stuff on here (like giving February its own album page), but you should also totally follow me over at Tumblr. All the cool kids are doin’ it.

February

sewingmachinesmusic — Wed, 04 May 2011 03:49:34 +0000

Another album in the bag. Feeling that heady rush of satisfaction and depression that comes with finishing a big project. Also I think I have a cold or the flu or something, which isn’t helping.

I uploaded it to Bandcamp two nights ago, right as the world was learning that Osama Bin Laden was dead. So that was a pretty big day for the internet.

EP’s called “February” because I started working on these songs in February 2010 and (basically) finished in February of 2011, with a LOT of time off in the middle. The first three songs are new. The last three songs are old. I was gonna include three covers, but you can’t upload covers to Bandcamp without officially licensing them, and fuck that noise, so I’ll just upload em to Soundcloud or something at some point.

The songs are all based around loops of Sam Moss playing violin and banjo. He improvised parts for one or two songs and then I just cut them up and reused them for every song on the album. It was a really fun way to work that I doubt I’ll ever do again. There’s also some guitar that doesn’t sound like guitar and some drum samples I found on the internet and even a recycled drum track from the Green Grocer EP on one song.

Go download it now. It will make me happy.

http://sewingmachines.bandcamp.com/album/february

In other news

sewingmachinesmusic — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 02:01:18 +0000

On the topic of “podcasts where my songs were featured in the past few months”: BIRP!

I’d never heard of ‘em until a few weeks ago, when I noticed there was a massive spike in people from around the world listening to “Twilight” on Last.fm, and after a little digging I found out that they had featured me on their February playlist.

http://www.blalocksirp.com/playlists/2011/4730-blalocks-indierock-playlist-february-2011

And since February’s my birthday month, the image is particularly appropriate.

Check out their site. They (obviously) have good taste in music, and seem like solid dudes.

One year later…

sewingmachinesmusic — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 19:51:06 +0000

Wow, has it really been that long? I’ve kinda been working on other stuff for a while, but seriously…

Anyway, kinda fitting that this post is to say I’ve once again been featured on CMG’s Fantasy Covers Podcast, which once again rules. This time I’ve got two (2!) songs on the podcast: a cover of Dolly Mixture’s “Angel Treads” (with Michael Hurder on synths) and a cover of Talking Heads’ “This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody)” (featuring Sam Moss on fiddle and banjo).

There’s a lot of other great stuff on there too. I’m particularly fond of Decomposure’s Beach Boys-y cover of “California Gurls,” which is both a clever joke well executed and a great song.

http://www.cokemachineglow.com/podcast/6053/cmgfantasycontest-2011

More updates coming soon. For real.

CMG Fantasy Podcast

sewingmachinesmusic — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 19:54:49 +0000

Dude… dude….

Okay I know I’m late on this AGAIN but I really need to blog about this shit. Better late than never, etc.

Cokemachineglow, who are, like, totally my favorite music review site ever, recently picked one of my songs for their end-of-the-decade Fantasy Covers Podcast. It’s my rousing rendition of Joanna Newsom’s jam “Clam, Crab, Cockle, Cowrie,” featuring Sam Moss on violin and banjo, and Rod O’Connor on drum production and just generally making things sound good. It’s been up for a while, but if you haven’t listened to it yet, you should go do that.

Glasgow Podcart

sewingmachinesmusic — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 08:48:29 +0000

The good folks at Glasgow Podcart picked up one of my songs – “Bare Bones” – for their Podcast a few weeks ago (Episode 48 – ‘Don’t Give Me Maw Stick’). It was really cool. They’ve all got awesome Scottish accents and it made me feel good to hear them say my name.

I would have posted this sooner, but I’m bad at the internet. I’m trying, I swear.

60 Hz Remixes

sewingmachinesmusic — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 20:21:07 +0000

Oh man, what do I even say about 60 Hz? Well, for starters, his friends call him Rod O’Connor. I’ve known him for almost six years and in that time I’ve seen/heard him produce an insane amount consistently top-notch computer-based music of every imaginable genre, from electro-acoustic ambient music to drum and bass. He did a whole album of granular synthesis remixes based on Sundays a few years ago. He’s recently remixed a couple tracks from Bodies of Water that sound pretty freakin’ awesome, if I do say so myself. Czech ‘em out.

Let It Go 1 (60hz remix)
Body of Water (60hz remix)

Green Grocer EP is here!!!

sewingmachinesmusic — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 20:00:40 +0000

Know Your Grocer is what we’re calling it. Took the title from a recent article in the Guardian about hipster slang from the first half of the 20th century. To “know your groceries” means to “Be hip, aware, alert to the situation.” We changed it from “groceries” to “grocer” because it’s our EP and we can call it whatever the fuck we please.

Relevant information:

1. In a Sense
2. Sin City
3. Lost Souls
4. Where Are You?
5. I Feel Fine
6. Know You

Elliott Conley: guitar
Max Horwich: drums
Michael Hurder: synth, sampler, vox

All songs recorded live on November 14-15, 2009 in our apartment in Chicago, IL.

All songs by Michael Hurder except “Sin City” by Gram Parsons

Produced by Brad Knain and Green Grocer

Download Here

Live Green Grocer album in progress

sewingmachinesmusic — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:56:10 +0000

Many of you may not know this about me, but Sewing Machines is not my only “band.” I’m not really sure exactly how many “bands” I’m technically in right now (I’d guess somewhere between three and five maybe?) but the project that’s been getting most of my attention recently has been a psych-synth-blues-punk trio called Green Grocer. The group is led by Michael Hurder, who, in the year that we’ve been playing together, has not only developed from a Damn Fine Songwriter into a Truly Great Songwriter, but learned how to play a 404 sampler and sing at the same time. The trio is rounded out by Elliott Conley shreddin’ a Fender Strat somethin’ fierce and yours truly playing drums (4-piece kit; marching band sticks; really loud).

Well, Green Grocer cut our first full-band recording this past weekend with a little assistance from You Black Kettle‘s Brad Knain, who helped us out with the Picture of the Year EP about a year ago. The new 7-song EP (LP? mini-album? whatever) was recorded completely live in our apartment/practice space with no overdubs. So basically it’s the opposite of a Sewing Machines album, which is rad.

Should be done mixing it by next week. Stay tuned.

Follow me on the Book of Faces

sewingmachinesmusic — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:17:52 +0000

Howdy Y’all!

I set up a fan page for Sewing Machines over on Facebook. Which is good, because I totally don’t already spend way too much time on Facebook as it is.

Add me!

Yeah!