Burning Up with the Brothers

Music for Discount Miracles

2012-06-04T13:08:00.004-07:00

We love Brand Gamblin's stuff. You read his latest, "Discount Miracles"? Good stuff, a nice blend of high brow sci fi and low brow motivations:

The crew of the space salvage ship JNE-0518 (the Jenny) have crashed on a planet that has lost its link to civilization. Surrounded by kingdoms stuck in the dark ages, the crew decides to hire themselves out as wizards, available to make any prophecy come true.

But the latest job goes bad when they find themselves transporting a deified prince. Can the team get away from two different nations before they are caught and burned as royal kidnappers and witches? Even if they can escape the two armies, can they escape the iron grip of prophecy itself?

It's good writing by an artful author, and we were honored that the man tapped the brothers once again for music duties for the Discount Miracles podcast. Cool.

The brothers banged heads on it for a while. And in the end, had managed to conjure up 8 different tracks of varying quality and appropriateness.

The tracks were presented to the author/podcaster. He mulled them over, then selected the last one, 8C. There was much rejoicing - We thought that was the strongest one, too.

And what about the previous 7 tracks? Some were trashed, never to be foisted on human ears again. The remaining were posted on the Downloads and Soundtracks page. You wanna hear them? Go here and hear!

But for a great read, you need to just go ahead and add Discount Miracles to your library:

Music from Calls for Cthulhu Available!

2012-04-30T08:28:00.001-07:00

The brothers visited some dark places in the process, but managed to make the deadline (pun intended).
Ladies and gentlemen, we proudly present Music from Calls for Cthulhu!

Music from Calls for Cthulhu by The Brothers Burn

We had a blast putting this together, and we must thank (and blame) Brandg.

Calling in Cthulhu!

2012-04-11T15:32:00.000-07:00

It can be said that the brothers' biggest (only?) brush with fame has been their loose association with this Brand Gamblin project:

Yep, that's the brother's music you hear in there. Some of it derived from other, more noteworthy antecedents (Modest Mussorgsky, Sheila Cole). But most of it is their own.

Every now and again, some wandering soul would hit up the producer for one of the audio cues. Or present a query about the composition of a particular bit.

The producer kept notes of this. Eventually, he surmised a need to release the C4C efforts to the universe, and so tasked Isaac and Horace on the latest project - The compilation of bits and pieces that the brothers contributed to the Calls for Cthulhu series. MORE than just a compilation, truthfully (the actual words were "make it mo' betta").

So it's with great pride and pleasure that the producer announces the next project: Music from Calls for Cthulhu!

It should be finished 4/30/11. Look for it!

We've Gone Non-profit

2012-01-25T17:50:00.000-08:00

We've heard all manner of the "you shouldn't give your music away" thoughts. But then, we read this article.

We drank the koolaid. We're the few, the chosen, the converted.

So, now all of our stuff is Free as in Bird. Get ye therefore to our Bandcamp site and download away.

Quick. Before we read another article about NOT giving your music away...

Google Music!

2011-11-22T14:54:00.000-08:00

Ever heard of these guys?

They say they're pretty good at what they do.

So they started this neat little music platform. Maybe you've heard about it.

Well, this was the latest bandwagon to roll down on our road. And we've never let a bandwagon go by that we didn't just jump right into.

So now you can get this one on there (click on the image!):

And our very latest is up there too(click on the image!):

Google music. Don't leave home without it.

Turning Into Ash Available

2011-10-04T16:12:00.000-07:00

Turning Into Ash - It's out there, right now.

Composed, recorded, rendered, mixed, mastered, pimped. Finished. Whew. Here it is. Or the CD cover, anyway:

Sad though - Now the producer REALLY has to work. That's OK though, 'cause it's getting through. We found it on iTunes, Amazon. Spotify.

And Bandcamp:
Turning Into Ash by The Brothers Burn

We're Turning Into Ash

2011-09-09T12:07:00.000-07:00

Dunno how it's been where you are, but in Austin, it's just one big wave of heat. And no rain since... Can't remember.

It does something to ya, all that heat. Dries up your pores, makes you thirsty. Gives you a new appreciation for rain - You ever have a time when you hated rain?

Isaac and Horace have not been unmoved. More like obsessed. The only thing taking more of their brain's cycles during this phase is Mother, who is never far from their thoughts, though she's been dead and buried for 17 years now.

So with the new obsession comes a new birth - "Turning Into Ash" is the name of the next release. Our first pass art, generated by the producer just so he could have a simplistic image to embed in the MP3s, was this:

Not all that inspiring. After some digging around, consulting, and asking the Internet, the producer came up, well, dry. He turned to Horace for ideas, who remembered that tale of fiery woe from long ago - Pompeii. From there, the producer produced this as the new CD's art:

If this image doesn't convey it, we'll just say it straight out: This is the brothers' darkest, most dramatic work ever.

It will hit 9/30/11. We want you to have it.

Grooveshark!

2011-06-27T14:56:00.000-07:00

They say the music industry is changing. We don't know for sure - Change is one of the few constants the brothers experience - custody battles or privacy hearings or medical examinations or legal wranglings, change, or threat thereof, is their only constant.

But the producer noticed a big shift in the digital music landscape. Local band Quiet Company is now in cahoots with GrooveShark and Rocket Science - Their next release will be promoted via a new showcase project that will circumvent the big labels. It's a bold move by new movers and shakers in the new world music order - Read about it here.

The upshot was that the producer took a look at GrooveShark. Got addicted. Moved the brothers' music up, and now you can find "A Work In Progress" on yonder Grooveshark.

Cool. And not just because it's got "shark" in the title.

We made it to the Deli!

2011-05-04T10:49:00.000-07:00

The producer was shocked today. And not in the usual way, either:

He was making his normal stops along the web. Paid his regular visit to Deli Magazine -

And there, in headliner position, was "Hop Skip Jump". In all it's glory.

We quickly popped over to Facebook, then Twitter, pouring his good fortune all over the rest of the known universe.

Tell your friends! Hop Skip Jump!

Hop Skip Jump!

2011-04-28T14:32:00.000-07:00

We finished "A Work In Progress", shipped it out. Sat back, sighed. Scratched our beards.

The brothers, bored, got up and wandered back into the studio. The producer consulted that great holder of all knowledge, Google, for what to do next. And it responded - Music Video!

The producer, glad to have something to do, picked up the ball and ran with it. Metaphorically. He found Animeeple, fired up After Effects, generated a few backgrounds with Combustion, ran Anime Studio. Put it all together, producing this video for the hit "Hop Skip Jump":

Enjoy! Tell your friends! Hop Skip Jump!

A Work In Progress Done

2011-03-21T13:11:00.000-07:00

We've beaten the lawyers at their own game, overcome sleep deprivation, and leapt court-appointed hurdles, and are now able to report Yes, "A Work in Progress" is done.

Whew. The brothers have made the deadline, it seems, and with a few days to spare. It'll be here this Friday, 3/25/11. We love Bandcamp, so look there (which, BTW, allows hidden tracks, hint hint). iTunes too. And we know for a fact it can be had via Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004STRUVQ

They're "A Work in Progress" all right. But thanks to you, the fans, they're a little further along.

Progress on A Work In Progress

2011-02-25T13:44:00.000-08:00

We've been pretty faithful with our meds. Pretty.

And so there's been some significant progress on the next LP, titled "A Work in Progress". So much so that the producer got in touch with a visual designer to generate an image for the CD cover.

The visual designer turned out to be no less than Noël Kristi Wells, the actress, comedienne, and creator of the Zooey Deschanel Show. (Turns out she's a film editor and brilliant photographer as well. We're pretty sure she also has a great plan for World Peace, but were afraid to ask.)

Noël turned in several comps, here's two that we really liked -

The brothers absolutely loved this one, but the producer said No, it's a bit too dark for the cuts in this release. This caused consternation, and Horace asked for a copy to simply hang in their cell. (The jury is still out on this; the producer is waiting to hear back about the institute's policy on wall decorations.)

This one is closer, and the producer said YES. But Noël nixed it, knowing there was something better.

We ended up with this one, which the brothers were very happy with:

And when we say "very happy", we mean that they agreed it was amazingly appropriate, and that there was no violence or obscene gestures between them.

With that done, the producer, flush with success, named March 25, 2011 as the Official Release Date for "A Work In Progress". Will post the success, or failure, of making that date...

New Year, New Music

2011-01-21T09:22:00.000-08:00

The brothers have been soaking in the locals, musically-speaking; contributing to the world of music fandom in a vague sort of way. Which means they've simply become big fans of some of the talent in the Austin TX area, making suggestions to the producer about what to include in the Austin Independent Music blog and podcast.

As a musical entity, there's progress on that front as well: 12 new tracks have been earmarked for the next, as yet-to-be-named CD, who's release date is also TBD, though we're thinking March-April. These tracks are in various states of construction; some are almost ready to graduate, others are still mere infants in the DAW. But all have a sharper, sometimes dirtier, edge than the tracks on the Flattened Frog release. We are liking it.

Speaking of new - Brand Gamblin has managed to finish another novel: The Hidden Institute. This means another podcast, and hopefully more podcast-aimed music from the brothers. Should that music ever get produced, look for more "1884"-ish soundtracks on our Bandcamp pages.

New Christmas Music

2011-01-03T15:16:00.000-08:00

Sure, coupling the adjective "new" with the noun "Christmas music" sounds oxymoronic. But Hey, it happens, and we can thank the uber-productive cats of Watch Out For Rockets for it. "It" being, in this case, the "13 Days of Christmas" release.

Yep, keeping in (or perhaps, skewering) the spirit of the season, we've been treated to a new song every day, with the madness starting on the 12th, and the last entry landing on the 25th, Christmas day.

And just to be clear: These ain't just new renditions of yer granny's favorites. Oh no, these are new classics in and of themselves. The personal favorite? Day 2, Hey Mr. Snowman. Well, that one and Day 9, Eggnog and Incense.

OK, sure, Christmas and New Years have come and gone. But good music never goes out of season. [Feel free to quote us on that.]

Check it:
http://watchoutforrockets.bandcamp.com/album/13-days-of-xmas

More Good Music

2010-11-09T09:30:00.000-08:00

First - Pay no attention to the strange Technorati-embedded verification token XGWUG5HQGRMD. We already know about it, but are bound to secrecy. Kindof. Let's just leave it alone and get back to business as usual, shall we?

In keeping with the spirit of giving, we want to point out another local Austin band that has a great fresh sound, as well as the stage presence to put on a great show - Watch Out For Rockets.

Lead by the multi-faceted David Jones (not to be confused with the other Dave Jones), WOFR is on CD release #4, continuing their streak of awesome alt. rock-ness. Be on the lookout for their latest, "Telepathic War Machine", out by Christmas.

1884 is here

2010-11-02T13:30:00.000-07:00

Back when the brothers were in the final throes of "Flattened Frog" - that would be the summer of '10 - Brand Gamblin (@brandg) mentioned that he would need some music for the podcast of his latest NaNoWriMo-kick-started, steampunk novel "1884".

They stewed on it, toyed with various instruments. Forgot all about it. Finished and mastered "Flattened Frog", then came back to it with fresh, "I'm ready for something other than electronic music" verve. They belted out a theme, posted it to Brand. He liked it and ran with it.

But the theme, both of the music and of Brand's writing, followed the brothers around like some vengeful ghost. Eventually, they gave into the muse, spent some days in the studio, and generated this 13 minute track.

'Tis a freebie, so get ye to Bandcamp and pick it up:

http://thebrothersburn.bandcamp.com/album/music-for-brand-gamblins-1884

Abra Kadabra!

2010-10-26T08:37:00.000-07:00

Introducing, ladies and gents, the talented Joshua Marriott - One actor & cinematographer & maker of films, who we met over a craigslist-incited email conversation. Josh needed music and sound, and the brothers joined his crew, albeit virtually; mastering the sound and providing a few musical cues for Josh's latest short, the comedy "Abra Kadabra".

Unfortunately, the producer Scott Osborn was credited with the brother's work. But that's OK - After the latest courtroom debacle, the brothers have decided to lay low on the film post-production side of things. We'll make the "Abra Kadabra Theme" available on the website Soon.

Self-serving

2010-09-23T13:15:00.000-07:00

This space is, typically, reserved for tooting our own horn, letting the world know how awesome doth our talent shine.

Enough of that bullocks. Found some cool bands lately, and you should seriously give these fellas a listen. Today's post is dedicated to Mr. Bear.

Mr. Bear just came out with a new CD that will broaden your electronic horizons, No Sleep Till Bleep. From the silliness of MonkeyPants to the frenetic pace of Legs Monday to the serious ambiance of BigDigger, Mr. Bear's latest shows some serious compositional range, especially for our niche in the music world. Personal favorite? Kendama Dub.

Check it.

New Webness

2010-09-16T18:35:00.000-07:00

Much sweating. Over the tools of our acronym-loving webmasters; HTML5, javascript. PHP. Widgets. Server-side scripts. Images.

But Yes, we're done. Kinda - The Soundtracks/Freebies page isn't populated just yet. But the rest of the Apple-happy site is ready for your perusal.

Come give the new Brothers Burn website a run through:

http://www.TheBrothersBurn.com

Mind the dust, if we can quote the old masters of 2002.

Website Junk

2010-09-13T09:32:00.000-07:00

Proud, we were. Finished Flattened Frog, released it to the universe. Updated our twitter. Then noticed -

Our website is... a little too 2005. What with all the Flash and all.

Suddenly, we not be so proud. Time to brush off the 'ol website persona. And this being 2010, the new thing being HTML5? Well, why not make a site that you can check from your iPod?

So. We're On It. And are pleased to report that we could, conceivably, have 'er up and running within a week. Or two. Don't hold your breath, just know it's on the way.

Flattened Frog

2010-09-10T15:08:00.000-07:00

FINALLY. Years we've spent, kinda off and on sure. But Yeah, years. The brothers would polish a song, crank out a new one, and -

Lawyers, typically. Doctors too. And sure, sometimes it would be another project (ie., like Brand Gamblin's 1884 project, more later).

But Finally. Yes, we've finished the CD. Flattened Frog! Tune into iTunes, or bus into BandCamp.

Up next - Promotion!