Blog Report: When Larny Wanted to Rock Out (for real this time)

Howdy friends,

I gave myself a few months to think this over. And I think now is the right time to say it.

I know full well that it's prime time to start a collective. But more specifically, I want to get a live backing band going. I've got my reasons for it too:

1. Almost every show has been with live instruments so far
2. I enjoy working with people in music
3. Just rapping over a beat is a cop-out
4. A live band gives more flexibility to arrangements. Songs can be expanded, truncated, re-imagined, etc.
5. The last show was a big reason to get the ball rolling. I was the only guy without an instrument. It was awkward. Good show, but it was off-setting.

However, reality is a bit of a downer in this situation. The problem is that right now, many of the people I want to play with are in a stage where no one's in a centralized location, making coordination of practice and other things, hard, if not impossible.

So in a simple way of saying it, the next generation of the live band (working title is Aces Down 2.0) will not have a static lineup, rather, it will be dynamic and changing. Instead of going through the process of losing someone then blowing it up, it will hopefully work in the fact that people come and go, and pieces will be added and subtracted as the moment calls for it. And before anyone asks, this is a bit different from the untitled project I was working on last year. Not the exact same, but unique enough to avoid confusion.

Another reason why I want to work with a band is because I have a plethora of songs written that quite frankly, would be wasted on the computerized beats method. Not saying beats are bad, but in these cases, live instrumentation gives better energy to the music that's trying to be made. There's a certain anger, a darkness to these songs that I don't think MIDI programming could totally make sense of.

Here's what I'm looking for:

• Guitar: Lead and Bass. 
• Vocalist: Hooks/Choruses and Harmonic Verses.
• Drummer: Able to play mid-tempo jams, can keep a steady beat

So yes, the next wave is going to happen. Hoping this summer or late spring but I have my doubts. Mum's the word.

-mc larny

Winter War Micro-Tour Recap (And More)

Coming off a week where everything happened, the Winter War Micro-Tour was perhaps the most physically exhausting yet rewarding set of shows I've been a part of.

I guess it was an experiment, if I could actually create a show that was reliant on one person, rather than a group of people, and do it over and over again. A sampler of a future life, I guess.

Show #1 at Patrick's in Malden was a warm up, a chance to tweak some things, soundwise and manipulation wise as well. Also, working on stage presence and just focus trying to incorporate the elements of my skill set was a focus. I would say the appreciation I received was great and encouraging. Mainly because I changed my approach.

I stopped trying to be the perfect guy, and instead just went out and existed.

Show #2 at the All Asia was rough to start with. Hoping that a chunk of my friends would be there as moral support kinda didn't happen...so I took the stage, a little nervous, a little afraid.

And what happened was magical. Just entering a zone that for so many nights, I had dreamed about, planned out and mentally prepared myself to step into.

I went for nearly 30 minutes, all rapping. Which scares me, because I think my max was probably 20 minutes, but 30, without a drink next to me, was wild. 

Getting props from the bartender was a huge boost in my confidence as well.

This was fun, very much so. Thanks to everyone who came out to see me, it was great.

The Evolution Of MC Larny: 2013

Well, who else could have imagined this?

366 days prior I was driving to Walpole to begin the new chapter of SWEETDICULOUS.

366 days later...I'm starting a new chapter again, this time, with another previously-declared-dead stage act.

That's right. Aces Down is coming back in 2013.

But before I delve into that, I need to get on the topic of some other things that have happened in 2012.

-CONFESSIONS AFTER DARK-
After a solid year of work, Confessions has arrived. 5 songs, available on Bandcamp right this moment. This is the start of the Imperfect Trilogy...uglyside is making headway right now. Should be done in Februrary, ilf all goes according to plan.

-MC LARNY GETS LIVE-
This was the dream coming true. Finally meeting collaborators who just get it, who can work with their own styles of music and merge into mine, to make something awesome happen.

I got lucky that I met Meghan and Tyler both this year, as well as Tom. The 3 of them have been a creative spark in my circuits that has got me yearning for the stage all over again. Playing new songs with them has been some of the most fun I've had in quite some time music wise.

-PROJECT NIGHTMARE DOES IT AGAIN-
5 feature installments, and a spinoff series can't describe how huge Nightmare has been to my creative process. It has been some of the best ways to express my creative sides and by doing that, I've been able to work bits and pieces into my live setup, giving old tracks new life, and new ideas a platform to jump off.

PN 36(5) was an accomplishment. 365 days, and using those as a diary of sorts. Capture emotions, triumphs, failures, all of that into instrumental expression and it becomes so much more than it looks.

Also, Project Nightroid gave me a chance to expand deeper into a more cinematic sound. One that evokes and shows different faces, but they all make sense in the big scheme of things.

OK, that's in the rearview. Let's bring out 2013!

-KEEP IT LIVE-

With the conclusion of college, it's time to go back to work with music and FINALLY get the wheels moving. Expect a lot more chances to see MC Larny live in 2013. January 9th and 13th, the dates of the Winter War Micro-Tour...an open mic and a performance at All Asia in Cambridge. Exciting times.


-THE NEXT WAVE-
Well, the trilogy will end in 2013. Somehow. And there WILL be a CD release at the same time EP #3  comes out. It will all tie in together so keep an eye out for that.

Also, hopefully backwards/forwards will formally begin tracking in 2013 as well. Once EP #3 is out, we're going in to start the next full length LP.

-THE RETURN OF ACES DOWN-

OK...let me explain.

Aces Down was dead. And it was going to stay that way. Until I came to a conclusion in the middle of last year...why not do it again?

It wasn't an easy choice. But I felt that the nature of Aces Down, the collision of musical styles, that was a good idea that ALMOST worked. So hence why it's coming back.

With all the pending instability with collaborators moving farther away from a central location, and being a first-hand victim of how distance affects musical relationships, a collective gives me a chance to work with more people, but also avoid having to shuffle lineups when something happens. It's a fluid nature.

And when you consider a collective that spans different genres, Aces Down makes sense. A lot of sense.

While I will always, and I mean this, ALWAYS have the memories of the first lineup of this band in my mind and heart, there's enough reasoning for me to make this change. Specifically, because of a lot of changes in my life, with the first lead singer and I haven't talked since 2010.

So with that noted, the first lineup is not getting back together. And it's time to reboot the Aces.

The lineup will be revealed soon. But a little word of advice...

It's always wild.

-mc larny

Show Report: 11.17.12 - Rock For ZUMIX II

Another show report. Been awhile since, but always better to have than to have not.

SHOW #16 - Rock For ZUMIX II
All Asia, Cambridge MA

*THE LINEUP*

Photo credit: Jackie Gabriella o/b/o Jones Rocktography

MC Larny- Loops/Keys/Vocals

Meghan Earle- Guitar/Vocals

*BACKGROUND: The Things You Didn't Know*
-2nd show at All Asia
-2nd show of 2012
-Earliest start time in career
-2nd performance with Meghan
-Shortest set in career
-First time the unplugged/electronic hybrid setup has performed live

I've known Meghan for the past year. How this show came about was out of my own sleuthing and asking questions about things. Specifically, if I could play this show. The answer was yes. The question was..."how is this going to happen?"

A few days later, sitting at my laptop trying to solve that question, Meg walks by. We exchange pleasantries and talk about the usual stuff. Next thing, I tell her about the show in Boston (technically it's Cambridge -ed) and I ask her if she wanted to be a part of it. Another yes. And thus the planning began.

For weeks we worked out a setlist. The second song was always intended to be Flood. The first one...well, that took up till the week of the show to determine. First it was going to be an original. Then it was going to be a mashup of a Radiohead song. Then after all of that, we scrapped it and went with an NIN cover.

We almost did Something I Can Never Have. I can't imagine writing a rap verse for that...

*BEFORE THE SHOW: The Morning Of*

Helter skelter mornings are a tradition around here, and today was no different. We met up the day of, because the day before was a little too complicated for our schedules. The morning was low-energy, with doubt filling the room that we could pull this off. However, after doing a few solid runs with Head Like A Hole and getting timing down to a science, Flood was next up.

And the challenge began.

We wrote the song in April with Tyler (our guitarist) and we had everything...save for an ending. There was the heavy ending (Tyler plays his guitar and hits a big chord, and somehow it ends), the fadeout ending, and the quiet ending, where the strings wrap up the track.

Obviously, all 3 of those were not options. So as we play through the song, we get to the end and Meg improvised an ending guitar melody. Sounds fine on it's own...but when the piano was there to counteract it, it was magic in audio form.

We play it and my face gets affixed with the biggest smile ever. We conclude it and I lose it, needing to sit down. It was that good.

After an hour, we head out to Boston/Cambridge with our roadie J.D. in tow. Of course it wasn't perfect.

I left the stand and the charger at the jam room (oops). And my laptop cable at home.

Good thing Guitar Center is en route to our destination. I run in, grab a cable, pay a decent price, and happen to see my former guitarist Laura for a brief moment. Weird.

And then we are off to the All Asia!

*THE SHOW*

Setlist
1. Head Like A Hole (NIN Cover)
2. Flood

Finally, we arrive. Getting all set and ready to go, and it's all about to happen. I'm not nervous, and neither is Meg. Getting set to do our thing, I'm oblivious to the moment before, it's all about the moment now.

We finally take the stage and start. Not too much to say, just watch the two webisodes to get the experience.

It's over and we both feel relieved. A hug of celebration afterwards and we have accomplished something that we'll be telling our kids about.

*POST-SHOW*

The rest of the afternoon was spent basking in the moment. And chilling with our friends and enjoying the local scene and all the untapped talent. Seeing so many people was reaffirmation, that this was worth it. It was all worth it.

As the day winds down, and we head out, we chill with Mojo Kick and I ask the question again to Meg:

"Want to do Flood again on December 3rd?"

The answer: Yes (hopefully it does happen)

Me, Meghan, J.D., JTK, Eric, Colby, A2K.

-mc larny

SHOW ALERT: 11/17 Rock For ZUMIX

Attention Boston fans:

We got a show coming up on the 17th, at the All Asia Bar in Cambridge (MBTA accessable via Red Line, Central stop). We go on at 1:20pm.

And why do I keep on saying "we"....because we have a special guest playing with us. From Remember the Grass People, Meghan will be joining us on guitar and vocals. 2 new songs, one of them you may know, the other you totally don't.

PRICE: $10 (going to ZUMIX)
AGES: all (MC Larny is for the children)
LOCATION: All Asia Bar, Cambridge MA
DOORS: 1pm

See you there. Y'all be cool.
-mc larny

Previously On...

When I left this blog in July, a lot of things were up in the air. Bands, EPs, music, life.

Fast-forward to now. It's calming down.

Confessions After Dark dropped this week, finally! It's on Bandcamp.com so do check it out. Also, PN 365 is getting closer and closer. May throw a few curves here and there...watch yourself.

January, it's back to the studio. Recording uglyside. And the final part of the trilogy will come soon after.

SOF 2 is still alive. Look for it soon.

And that's it...WAIT A MINUTE!

SHOW ALERT: 11/17 at the All Asia Bar in Cambridge as a part of the Rock for ZUMIX fundraiser. And get ready for the surprises to come.

-mc larny

Project Nightroid: the long and short of it

Hey there,

It's finally done and ready for your eardrums, the latest installment of Project Nightmare, Project Nightroid is out now on Bandcamp and I'm quite surprised how well things worked out. For a project that was as shaky and watered down as it was, somehow less is more. Huh.


I guess the question is what's next? A new album, 3 EPs, a mixtape and PN 36(5) all up. And maybe one more thing but we'll see.

-mc larny