June 13th at the Flatiron

The Blockheads will be at the Flatiron with Slingshot Dakota (from PA), and The Old One-Two on June 13th.  We're looking forward to this.  Our album is going to be mastered in the next month or so, too.  Really looking forward to that too.

@mattysheets

Video From Monkeywhale.com

Little P, Emily Stewart, and myself recently did a video for a song off our upcoming album with the amazing Harvey Robinson of Monkeywhale Productions. All of the footage you see is us pretending. Even the spoken word intro. Harvey says it's good practice for making a "real" video, but to me, it's pretty real. This is an acoustic version of the song that we played in his hallway, the version off the album that we recorded at On Pop of the World Studios will be much crazier. A huge thanks to Harvey, Carolyn deBerry, and Donna Smith for helping us out and being awesome.

http://www.monkeywhale.com/sightandsound/this-was-live-once-ep-1-matty-sheets-and-some-of-the-blockheads/

-matty sheets

Blockheads, Megan Jean and the KFB at the Green Bean. March 11th, 7pm.

We'll be playing with our dear friends Megan Jean and the KFB on March 11th at the Green Bean, downtown Greensboro. As it's a Sunday, the show will start early and end early (7pm start time).

Check out the amazing flyer made by out good buddy Keith Warther ( @laserguided , Avant Greensboro).

The next night, Monday, March 12th, we will be having a show/party for our amigo visiting from Austin, Texas- James Marshall Owen. This will also be the Blockheads' two year anniversary, Erin's 30th birthday party, and my birthday. Megan and Byrne are going to stay in town to play another night and have fun with us. Suzanne Stafford, of Come Hell or High Water, will also play a set. There will also be music from Taylor Bays, James Marshall Owen, and myself- with some of the Blockheads.

This will be at an undisclosed location and will be a free show/party. Hint: It'll start around 8pm, which is two hours before the open mic starts on Tuesdays.

Blockheads Octopus Album Update

We've been recording an album since May. Yes, I know it is taking forever, but this is going to be the best recording I have ever been a part of.

We're in the final mixing stages out at On Pop of the World Studios in Reidsville, NC. My dear friend Randy Seals and I have been vigorously mixing the eight tracks that will be on our first album.

I change my mind all the time, but today I think the order will be :

Octopus

Swimming Pool

Three Big Squids

Slow Driver

Al's Diner

Shitty Day

Walking on Shark (Your Dog is Dog)

When You're Gone

I spent the weekend out there, and we're really getting close to being done. We mixed Swimming Pool for four hours, Al's Diner for about eight hours, Shitty Day took most of yesterday, and Three Big Squids took almost a day.

We only have three more to get done- with very small adjustments to the other five. I'm excited.

The biggest rush I get from mixing these tracks is realizing how damn good the Blockheads really are. Everyone played amazing stuff, and the vocals are divine. I get goose bumps every time Little P hits certain notes, or Erin takes some of the lead vocals on Shitty Day, or Jerrod comes in with a stellar harmony, or Emily's back up vocals just sound so spooky and perfect. These performances are outstanding, and the work Driveway Moore did to ensure great recordings of the instruments is equally outstanding. The vocals, and the mixing work that Randy has done out at On Pop of the World is super duper. We are really working well together on the mixes, and that goes a long way with me. I'm sure I can be a pain in the ass sometimes, as I tend to get rather particular about some things. Randy's patience and cooperation and general know-how is making all of this possible.

On Pop of the World is really a great place to work. Donna Smith, studio manager, is an old friend of mine and her presence seems to add to the good feeling I get when I'm over there.

We should be done within the month, and then it looks like we'll have to play some shows to earn the money to get this sucker duplicated. I can't wait.

-matty sheets

oh yeah.

Octopus EP update

We've been recording an EP over the past couple of weeks, and it has been going GREAT. I don't want to jinx it or anything, but...
We have had the privilege of working with Driveway, aka David Moore, and his two ADATs, for the rhythm tracks and the rest of the instruments.
Driveway brought his gear out to the country to our basement. He and Jerrod set up the couches on end and created a space where we could record drums, bass, keyboards, and guitar at the same time.
After a breakfast of eggs, garlic Gruyere sausage, and sour dough bread, we got to it.
Mike O'Malley on keys, Jerrod Smith on drums, Jon Bohlen on bass, and myself on guitar.
The keyboards were run direct, with the guitar and bass going through our respective amplifiers.
The sound is big and warm, thanks to those ADATs and Driveway's expert microphone placement.
We got eight songs done that day, but decided to go with these seven songs for our first EP:

Octopus
Slow Driver
Walking on Shark (with new Little Fish outro)
Swimming Pool
Al's Diner
Shitty Day
and Three Big Squids.

We were very happy with the rhythm tracks.
Up next was Little P, putting melodica on Octopus and accordion on the rest.
We were very happy with everything she did. Great work.
Then, Erin Hayes on flute. This was yesterday, and we had a blast.
We were very happy with everything she did. Great work.
Our next step will be to get our resident banjo player, Emily Stewart, on all the tracks (she has already put the dixie honkalulu on Walking on Shark).
I imagine this last phase will go swimmingly, as Emily is a gosh darn professional.

Then we will be off to see the amazing Ben Singer, who will dump the tracks from the ADAT machines to ProTools. He is a technical genius.
Once the tracks have been dumped, we're off to Reidsville. We'll be at On Pop of the World Studios to record vocals, make really small edits, and mix.
Everything that Tommy Flake, aka Randy Seals, has been doing out there lately (Crystal Bright, Mike O'Malley, DC Carter, new Tommy Flake stuff, etc.) sounds wicked cool- especially vocals- so I'm really excited to be working with him again.

That's the update for now. I really can't wait for you all to hear this stuff.
-matty sheets

A Big Week/Musical Community (?) (!)

What a week.

First of all we would like to thank Greensboro and the Triad and Yes Weekly for voting us runner-up for best new band. Wow.

Right behind our friends, Amelia's Mechanics.

So, thanks so much.

Next, I started a blog/web page where I post ALL live music events happening in Greensboro. It has been useful, apparently. It keeps getting traffic and I keep updating it- check it out HERE and tell me what you think. LMIG.

Crystal Bright started a group on FB with the sole purpose of connecting all bands and performers. Maybe we CAN have a musical community? This stuff excites me.

Then we got put on the bill with David Mayfield Parade at the Blind Tiger- thanks to our sedulous and assiduous manager, Melodi Fentress. We'll be playing there this Thursday, May 5th. Cinco de Mayo. Molly McGinn, from Amelia's Mechanics just may be there. She just may sing a song with us, too. You never know.

Hope to see you at the show!

-matty sheets

http://www.scoop.it/t/live-music-in-greensboro-nc