Barblog

Boxing Day in Luxembourg

2010-02-10T09:34:00.000-08:00

Gentlemen,

This was our most ambitious adventure yet. Never before have we endeavored to host an international jazz ballet event. Nevertheless, with a panache and savoir faire that has come to define our work, venne vide vette.

From a news story, commenting on our event:

During the weeks before Christmas, markets flourish all over the country. From wooden huts that are set up on town and city squares, all sorts of christmassy goods are on sale: locally produced arts and crafts (candles, Christmas trees and decorations, cribs, music, etc), and of course plenty of food and drink to warm you from the inside. The latter include the obligatory mulled wines, as well as the stronger stuff (eg Schnaps, known as "Drëpp"). Foods on sale include various soups (with or without Mettwurscht [a local sausage speciality]), pancakes, Thüringer, ... , plus the unpronounceable: "Gromperekichelcher". The bandstand in the centre of the square is also very much in use: A whole host of local bands, fanfares, choirs, etc, are performing, bringing to life the true Christmas atmosphere.

(Original article here.)

We left behind many signs of our visit, but most critics agree that the most valuable deposit of this year's Boxing Day endures in the audio recordings. Indeed, they capture only one of the eight dimensions in which we paint. Still, Guiseppi and Yosh Ra lost years of their lives producing these tracks, and the result is golden like Christmas mead.

Cheers!

2009-12-26T01:01:00.000-08:00

Dear Odin (God), please make it so that no one gets too messed up at the jam tomorrow. Thanks.
Have a good night barbarians, tomorrow some of us may bleed.

Tsunami Warning

2009-12-19T17:58:00.001-08:00

According to the Tsunami Warning Centers, a Tsunami Warning means that a dangerous tsunami may have been generated and could be close to your area.

When faced with such news, we promptly headed to Mr. Satdog's casa for a jam - which is where we received the message that changed everything.

It said: kim over now. And we did.

So please, download the resulting 14-song jam and listen carefully - an America Tsunami is just not something that happens every day.

2009-12-13T20:37:00.000-08:00

this

November Grapes

2009-11-26T12:56:00.000-08:00

May it please the Barb Council,

On November 14, 2009, Joseph Foti, Isabel Munilla, and Sidharth Uberoi entered a room in the house at 201 Morgan Street, Washington, DC 20002. The room held three synthesizers, a drum machine and a now infamous bowl of grapes.

Two hours later, they walked out of the room having achieved the near impossible. From one of many articles on the subject,

"...[such] events have so low a probability of occurrence that it is necessary to use a high flux nuclear reactor to study it."

Messrs. Foti and Uberoi continue to experience a wide range of symptoms associated with exposure to such an event. Ms. Munilla has, thus far, shown no such after-effects.

In the week following the meeting, Mr. Foti worked tirelessly into the mornings of several weekdays to mold the raw material into foot-tapping, and sometimes educational, booty-shaking songs. You will recognize it as a truly Barbarian experience, 3,000 miles due east.

You, among the Council, are lucky enough to hear the product of this meeting, in the Music section of the website herein.

Blazars in Outest Space

2009-07-02T10:50:00.000-07:00

Hear ye! Hear ye! This just in!!!

Scientists confirm the discovery of Blazars in Outest Space!!

From the article:

The English language simply lacks the ability to get across the staggering scale of these events - because it doesn't have a case above upper or letters bigger than capital. You can try writing down the values as numbers, but they end up being so stupidly huge that our monkey brains, programmed to deal with "one two three lots", just don't comprehend them.

Full article here....

Needless to say, this development is a huge boon for the Barbarian Tide. We're going to be rich, guys. Richer than in your wildest dreams. And you can take that to the bank.

We did it. We finally did it.

Rusty Beach Shack Blues

2009-05-14T04:17:00.001-07:00

Barbara,

We need to get away. Let's take a trip today. We can find a place far far away - a place we can just set up and play, every day, every single day.

We don't need much, no no. We only need to go go. Once we do, you'll know, why oh why.

So please say that you'll come with me. Please say you'll bring your trumpet case key. Please don't wait for anything. Just leave your stressful things.

The sun the beach the sand the guitar, the beer the song the way we are.

It's all we need.
Nothing else.
Just click that mouse.
We'll do the rest.
Say you're down.
And get a move on.
We'll all be here.
Gettin' our groove on.
Ten of us,
in that tiny tiny room!

Yours Deep in Love,
Henry

Tiny Tiny Train

2009-04-29T09:32:00.000-07:00

Dearest Barb,

I write to you these words on a handheld mobile device from inside a train moving away from the home of the tiny tiny dog and her giant dark family.

I carry a message from Her Majesty The Dog. With this post I that promise fulfill:

"The Lords of Kobol are a fiction. There is no Earth. The children of men will taste revenge."

Tiny Tiny Dog

2009-04-14T09:18:00.000-07:00

this is a tiny tiny dog.

Blazers in Outest Space

2009-03-02T02:58:00.000-08:00

We had to get them all, we had to get the best. After three months, the Blazer jam is finally up. On November 28th, 2008 The Barbarian Tide set a new endurance record, completing 27 tracks totaling over 2.5 hours. We set it up. We sat on top of the world. We definitely got ourselves into the f***ing vortex.

Now if you'll excuse me, I need to find my spaceship. Where did I leave it?

Since it's no fun downloading 27 separate tracks, this album prompted a new feature on the site. Now, by clicking on the name of an album from the main music page, you can get to a page where you can download an entire album as a zip file.

Enjoy.

-J

Titee Uitees - Rockin' The Citadel (twice)

2009-02-13T06:41:00.000-08:00

Tracks have been posted. Feast your ears.

Barbarians Are Not Always Smart

2009-02-04T10:10:00.000-08:00

Fact

2009-01-03T11:48:00.000-08:00

All barbarians are bodybuilders.

2008-11-24T09:28:00.000-08:00

BLAZERS FOR ALL

Let's get it started.

2008-09-16T13:29:00.000-07:00

Fotolog

2008-03-29T18:16:00.001-07:00

I really like Chachi's photo journal of our last Barbarian Jamasamabamagon: The Final Frontier. It was perfectly artistic and gave a stylized glimpse into the Voodoo Garage, like the flame of a monster's hearth through the slit in a door you pass on a busy city street. I couldn't find the proper image on the Internet to illustrate that last description.

Having such a visual record of our works, workings, and workons is really invaluable. As we grow older and our memories turn to dust bins, we should use our digicams to capture our lives.

Therefore, I propose that from now on, we take Staff Photos or Member Photos like mug shots to catalog the participants of our pagan rituals. I think we should also continue to have stylized photo journals of the events. Before we start sessions, we should take individual pictures of everyone. I see this as merely next step in our attempts to document the Jamasamabamagon. First, we created an online catalog, then we created instrumentation guides, now we should create a Fotolog.

Look Into the Mirror, Dude

2008-01-10T12:01:00.000-08:00

Friends, so inspired was I by "Gunfight" that I recorded a cover version of it today. Since we all composed it together, my interpretation of it will only be my own. I may have inadvertently veered away from your contribution to the song, or I may have inadvertently jettisoned some aspect you view important. Think of my version as a mirror on ourselves, one person's reflection of what he hears in front of him.

Read more about the song here, and then listen to it here.

It would be great if this were the first in a long tradition of Barb Tide covers.

The Voodoo Garage

2008-01-07T01:04:00.000-08:00

"The Voodoo Garage" is posted. Download either MP3 or AAC files from the MUSIC section of the site. Here's the track list:

Humpbacks
Big Spin of Life
Sand Headache
Until I Die
Mexico via San Jose
Flight of the Flagpole
Now
Package Man
Learning
Toward the Moonlight
Country Club
Last Night
The Lair's Train
Squandered the Lead
Gunfight
I Know You (Took My Bike)
Too Many Turns
Wake Up Scarlet
Firecracker
More For Me

I guess we were really saving up because together the 20 tracks are over 2 hours and 26 minutes. If you're thinking, "that's way too much for one sitting", no worries. Try nibbling on Toward the Moonlight, The Lair's Train, Squandered the Lead, or I Know You (Took My Bike) to start with. They're tasty...

As long as there has been Barbtide, there have been mysteries, such as: "Who's playing that harmonica?" or "Who's funky enough to be responsible for that bass line?". Thanks to this handy instrumentation listing (which is also linked from within the metadata of each file) we'll never wonder again. Hallelujah, yahweh.

Holiday Hambone

2008-01-02T11:32:00.001-08:00

Check out these excellent photos from the recent jam, courtesy of Chachi.

I'll try to get the tracks posted soon... stay tuned.

#455A7D... more than letters and numbers

2007-09-06T09:22:00.000-07:00

jomies,
while going through my morning 'look busy' web rotation i stumbled on this cool little utility http://chir.ag/phernalia/name-that-color/

basically, it shows you the crayola name for any color you select. pretty toight i think.

anyways, i shiet you not... first click fell on #455A7D

poice

How bout some fresh hambone?

2007-05-15T12:55:00.000-07:00

With a swirling wind, I tornado back into town with this question. And yet, even though I have just set down, I have plans to alight once more in less than a fortnight. "What brings you back, Sid?"

My answer is simple and elegant, pulsating with the wisdom of ages:

"Hambone once. Hambone twice."

Who will join this Fellowship of the Ham con Queso?

Loop it. (you should really click here)

¿Cuál canciones son sus favoritos?

2007-01-13T19:27:00.000-08:00

There are currently 92 songs posted. 92 SONGS!!! OKay, song might be too strong of a word. I should say there are 92 individual improvisational recordings, ranging in length from 57 seconds (wait stop) to 15 minutes (Cuban). These recordings have been made in a variety of places, using equipment ranging from a hand-held dictaphone to Tascam 4-tracks, to multi-channel, hi-resolution DAW interfaces. So my questions is: what makes for a good jam? Is it the location, the state-of-mind, the persons present, or the sweater Will happened to be wearing? And does everyone agree on which jams are the best? I'm curious... So, I'm proposing that everyone post their favorite jams. Try to keep your list to between 10 and 20 tracks.

Ready, set... GO!

The Force Of Our Endeavor

2006-12-18T08:42:00.000-08:00

I present you with our latest offering in the Hard Listening category: sixteen brand spanking dirrty tracks, a whopping 81 minutes, recorded in Fremont on November 24th, 2006:

TRUE
She Called Me (Between The Leaves)
When I Was A Boy
When I'm Done I'll Tell Ya
Dirrty (Dirty South...Bay)
Four Days Walk
Minor Song
Impaired
Right Turn
She Was
I See The Future
Money Maker
Can We Take The Chevy?
Tai Chi (Yakatori Johnson)
Force Of My Endeavor
Steak & Eggs (I'm Black Baby)

Who are we? Why are we here? Mommy!

2006-12-14T00:33:00.000-08:00

Recently, as I uploaded some Barb tracks to iTunes, I became confused when I attempted to categorize our band.
While I have always felt that "experimental" was the best way to describe our music (mostly in terms of our process, i.e. improvisation), I began to think that those who listen to the tracks, or perhaps some of my fellow Barbonies out there might feel differently.
So, conversation initiated.
I don't know how important it is, but well, to quote Nate: "My heart took a dump... and left a big red shit pile."
I hope this makes sense to all of you. nanana. (new favorite track)

would like to wish a Big Ol' Happy Barba

2006-12-09T17:15:00.000-08:00

rian Tide Whussup?! and howsitgoin?!

To the entire Barb Familia.

The last jambon was cooked just right, and with a little fromage and a whole lot of lovin', we may just sit down to breakfast with some new tracks before the new year (you can't rush milagros yo), which would be awsome. Nothin like a holiday on a stomach full of jambon and cheese. Let me tell you, plenty of cheese on the tracks that I've heard--especially one I like to call "Dirty South... Bay." Someone needs to check Satdog's pants because he just kept gettin' dirtier, I mean dirrtier.

Is how you feel, is how you feel. Know what I mean? Nice to add a tentacle to the jellyfish of barb, or put another way: The stinging structure, which varies according to species, but generally consists of a hollow coiled tentacle with barbs lining its surface, is unusually sonorous in the Chachifish. Somehow reminiscent of ASDIC, but not to be confused with ass-dick, that would be unfortunate.

W: gone 20-27 dec.; finals 12-13?dec.; barb bef. 20, after 27 dec. mega.