"Bro-Am" is the buzzword in town, so I thought I'd devote an entire post to the event, reliving some moments from last year's event, and looking forward to the one that's gonna take place this weekend. First, some updates about this year's. A fellow fan, Holly Howard, was at the bro-am fundraising auction the other night, and she said she had a great time. The highest bidder gave away around $2200. yep. Here's a picture she snapped, of Jon playing "Revenge" for the attendees:
Also, Alicia left a comment on the previous post saying that Jamie Tworkowski of TWLOHA will be at the Bro-Am. Great guy. Be sure to check out the TWLOHA booth there and get to know their story, if you're going. An amazing organization serving people in need, giving hope to youth.
Our blogger friend Tim Rogers at Broken Masterpieces wrote a report about his experience at last year's Bro-Am. In the build-up to this year's, that'd be a great read, if you haven't read it already. Check it out.
Now for a few video flashbacks to last year's Bro-Am. A clip of Tristan Prettyman, a performer at the event, playing "The Story":
Greetings, readers! In case you are unaware, I'm Gellie and I post sometimes. If you mistake my writing for Phil's (like people have in the past), I won't be offended. And I think Phil actually takes it as a compliment to be compared to me. ;) So go ahead and get us all mixed up, heh. Anyway, onto today's sf-log...
We'd posted the other day about Chad and Jon appearing on San Diego's local KUSI News to talk about the Bro-Am (which by the way is coming up THIS saturday!) To add to that, Jon had also performed an acoustic version of Awakening on KUSI -- here's the link to that video.
If you feel like you might want an mp3 of it, you're in luck. Brittany so kindly made one that you can download here. Thanks, Brittany.
Someone recently added a new bit to the Switchfoot article on Wikipedia - a "spotlight on Tim"! Thanks, Alex. So ridiculous, I had to laugh. According to this person, Tim's got a 1-up on Jon for not growing any unruly facial hair. Here it is, for entertainment purposes only. (I'm gonna quote the whole thing, since I'm pretty sure it won't be up on Wikipedia for much longer):
Tim Foreman is the bassist of the band. He is Jon Foreman's brother, who is the singer and lead guitarist. Tim is well known for his good looks and great hair. He is known to be the hottest guy in the band, which is true. He has the best sense of fashion too. He mixes and matches his clothes and makes a good fresh look everyday. His hair is a perfect dirty blonde color and it is always parted on the left side and looks neat and tidy everyday. He is always well shaved, unlike his brother Jon. Jon's worst beard and mustache experience was in August 2006, to January 2007. Jon barely ever shaved in this period of time, along with Drew Shirley (guitarist), and Chad Butler (drummer), who both grew long mustaches. Tim Foreman and Jerome Fontamillas (keyboardist, guitarist) both have always had a well shaved look. Tim Foreman is also a great bass player. He has been playing bass since 5th grade. He taught himself how to play, with a little help from his brother Jon. Chad knows Tim as the "World's Fastest Bass Player", as stated in The Official Switchfoot Podcast Episode 6.
So there you have it, folks. Real important stuff to know about Switchfoot. Is it bad that I found that so amusing? Oh, and, while we're at it, we thought we'd share this picture of Tim (we don't know who took it) that disproves some of the above in classic fashion:
As some of you know, at switchfeed.com (a slightly broader version of this blog) we feature an "mp3 of the week" (aka MOTW) column that highlights lesser-known (but still top-notch) artists, with an mp3 download to sample their music. Normally that post is taken care of by indie music blogger Arpit Mehta, but from now on he'll be sharing the column with indie music podcaster (and long-time reader) Jill. So if you like to check out new music for free, Jill made her first post yesterday, featuring a band called "Lakes" - check it out - catchy stuff, great lyrics too.
Another update at switchfeed.com: we just put up a new poll question, so go vote and let your voice be heard! (anonymously, of course ;) )
Hey all... I have recently been commissioned by Phil to help out with writing the MOTW, and this is my first time posting, so I thought I'd take a moment to introduce myself. My name is Jill, and I have been a faithful (read: obsessive) switchFeed reader since waaay back in the day (you know, a whopping five months ago ;)). I run a podcast called Ears to Hear, which plays some amazing independent music, and I'm very excited to be helping out with this column, because it gives me the perfect opportunity to share with you some of my favorite indie artists. So without further ado, let's get into the music talk...
For my first MOTW, I have chosen a band that I just found out about a couple weeks ago and that I haven't been able to stop listening to since. The band is called Lakes and is led by former Watashi Wa frontman Seth Roberts. The band formed in June of 2006, signed to Militia Group, and released their first EP, Photographs, in September of last year. The album is a clean, upbeat one; the songs are written in a catchy, melodic form of indie rock that just begs you to keep the album on repeat. But Lakes doesn't sacrifice intelligent lyrics for catchy hooks; this EP is full of lyrics that are honest, insightful, and generally poetic in nature.
The song I want to share with you today is the last track on the EP and is called "White Flag". While the rhythms and melody lines of this song make it appealing, it is the subtle details of the instrumentation that make it addicting. The verses are dominated by Roberts' vocals, backed by sparse guitars, drums, and banjo (gotta love the banjo), before being joined by a full band for the chorus. I love the fact that you can hear each instrument clearly throughout the song, so there's something fresh to hear with each listen. The lyrics are strong throughout the song, culminating with the heartfelt plea of the bridge:
And if I'm lost and alone, If I'm empty and dry, If I have nothing to give, Could you bring me inside? Would you bring me inside?
I'm a sucker for songs with great drums, so my favorite part of this track is definitely the chorus that picks up after the bridge, which features the perfect mix of drums, group vocals, banjo, and hints of acoustic guitars. It's an excellent ending to a song that will both catch your ear and make you think. I hope you enjoy it!
A side note: While it's not a prominent part of the song, it is interesting to note that Mike Herrera of MXPX contributed background vocals to this track.
If you like this song, I encourage you to also listen to "Indian Lover", which is up on Lake's MySpace page. And then you might as well pick up a copy of the EP, and make your ears happy. :) Enjoy!
I'll be coming home by the end of this song. I'll read you what I wrote And let you have what you own. If I could find a flag, could you please make it white? I know this is right, I know this is right, And I'm beginning to see I always thought that I had to change the world, But my world came down tonight. I thought that I had to win the war, But I'm so lost in the fight. And so I'm letting this be, and I'm beginning to see. I've got to let this be. Feed me to the birds if it helps them grow strong. Or take this all away, if it's part of the song. Or feed me what I need, if you'd like me to fight. I know this is right, I know this is right, And I'm beginning to see I always thought that I had to change the world, But my world came down tonight. I thought that I had to win the war, But I'm so lost in the fight. And so I'm letting this be, and I'm beginning to see. I've got to let this be. I've got to let this be. And if I'm lost and alone, If I'm empty and dry, If I have nothing to give, Could you bring me inside? Would you bring me inside? I always thought that I had to change the world, But my world came down tonight. I thought that I had to win the war, But I'm so lost in the fight. And so I'm letting this be, and I'm beginning to see.
Ok, so, yeah, we haven't had a post in 2 days. I believe this is the first weekend that this has happened since we started 6 months ago. Why this tragedy? Well, the real tragedy (and reason for my absence) is that my "Canadian" laptop charger's plug doesn't fit well into these Indian plug-points - creating a touch-me-not situation. But people around the house somehow always manage to touch it, in spite of instructions not to--maybe they're living with their eyes half open?--so gravity caused the charger to have many a great fall, and eventually one of the pins got bent and broken. Earlier someone had inadvertently stepped on the other end of the charger and that had gotten bent, too. To make matters worse, my ancient battery is malfunctioning and the laptop cannot run for more than a minute without the charger plugged in. Everything was breaking down, breaking down. So I pledged allegiance to a long piece of cellotape, in this fight against gravity. You might find the resulting image amusing:
So what did all that have to do with Switchfoot? I guess nothing (unless you took the point of the story to be "you bend until you break" or something. Wouldn't be your fault if you did.) But, onto the actual Switchfoot stuff now. Mr. Butler and the older Foreman appeared on San Diego TV though, the other day, as part of the build-up to Bro-am. Watch the video here.
Seth at the Footsoldiers HQ has a message for the soldiers. Here it is for those who didn't receive the email:
Hey there, Soldiers!
The Bro-Am is just around the corner (next weekend) and we need some help getting the word out in the San Diego area. For any of you who live in the SD area, we would love and appreciate your help at the Bro-Am, as well as helping spread the word by posting flyers at this weekend's Spirit West Coast Festival at the Del Mar Race Track, as well as all around town (coffee shops, schools, etc.). If you can help, we want to start asap, as in tomorrow (Friday) and Saturday. Since this is a holiday weekend, we would love help getting flyers up all around the Spirit West Coast Festival. If you can help with flyers, please email Mia at mia@ranchandcoast.com. If you want to help out at the actual Bro-Am next weekend, please email me at footsoldiers@switchfoot.com. This is a chance for you San Diego Foot Soldiers to shine! Again, please email Mia if you would like to help post flyers at the Spirit West Coast Festival and around town, and email me if you would like to help next weekend at the Bro-Am.
A thousand thanks, Soldiers! We appreciate all you do for us!
Seth
Jordon Grove emailed us with a link to 2 short interviews with Drew, and also an MP3 of cmcentral.com's interview with Jon Foreman that we'd posted a while back. Here they are.Thanks, Jordan.
Remember when Tim said "many more good things to come, my friends" in his introductory post when switchFeed moved to switchfoot.com? It's true. That's all I'm gonna say about that right now.
But the immediate future of this blog seems to be depending on a piece of cellotape halfway around the globe from most of ya'll. How fun. If gravity wins, or if I decide to put away the laptop to spend more time with family over my last couple weeks here at home, then you'll have Gellie (who used to post occasionally back when we were a little fanblog) back in action to fill in for me. For those of you who haven't had the pleasure of knowing her, she happens to be among the most beautiful people alive. That, again, didn't have much to do with Switchfoot, but I'm done- have a good one amigas and amigos, thanks for reading. K.I.T.
Bootleg CDs, a fidel cap, 3 pack o' stickers, a dark-pink version of an older girl cut tee, and an SF Icon tee... it's all here.
Also, if you're feeling generous (or rich), grab your tickets to the bro-am auction soon... also available at Bandfarm!
For those who believe the rumor that Jerome was picked up from the streets of Manila by the gracious Switchfoot guys, here's proof otherwise:
Falling somewhere along the lines of Ministry or Skinny Puppy collaborating with The Beatles, the duo of Jyro Xhan and Jerome Fontamillas managed to create some of the fiercest industrial rock songs, Christian or otherwise. The definite British pop influence can be heard in songs such as “Jill Sent Me”. They were also one of the first bands that I knew of that tackled the issue of child abuse with their song “Rift” with heartfelt sincerity. There were many notable members went onto other influential bands but the main nucleus of Jyro and Jerome would work so well that after Mortal was done, they went to a more heavy/alternative rock sound in Fold Zandura.
We've re-uploaded the entire 2003 bootleg we posted earlier, so cheers to those of you that had trouble with it: we won't need to use a freebie (i.e. crappy) server anymore! We'll be hosting 'em on our own server, with direct links. The links to all the songs on that bootleg have been updated (including the 4 songs that were later added), at the original post. The "Somebody's Baby" mp3, which was erroneous, also has a new link. (right-click and "save target as...")
We love that you love our MySpace. Thanks for adding us. I hear some of you are having trouble with the contact box. The page is best viewed on Firefox (as most other pages are), and I think the contact box issue is limited to IE, Safari, etc. We are working on this and hope to fix it, meanwhile, if when trying to add us, it takes you to the MySpace IM page, click on "send message" above it, to add us. And to send a message, click a little above the "send message" button. Also, I noticed today's email update misbehaved - bringing you posts from the 15th to the 17th. Weird. We're still making minor adjustments to the subscription service, so something might've gone wrong, but it shall be fixed.
Tim sent out a new email bulletin. Here's what it said:
hola mis amigos,
our favorite day of the entire year is quickly approaching, and I'm not talking about squirrel appreciation day (that'sJanuary 21) , in case you were wondering). I'm referring to the 3rd Annual Switchfoot Bro-Am on JUNE 2ND, of course.
1. Third Annual Switchfoot Bro-Am --JUNE 2ND: This is the day that combines many of our favorite things (surfing, music, friends, san diego, etc...), all with the purpose of making a lasting difference in the lives of kids throughout San Diego. As many of you remember, last year was pretty insane, with over 6,000 people showing up to watch some of their favorite surfers (including Tom Curren and Dane Reynolds) and favorite bands. This year looks to be even better than ever, with huge support from the local community, legends/pro-surfers/musicians Tom Curren and Timmy Curran, and many of our favorite bands and musicians from around So. Cal -- Jason Mraz, Sean and Sarah Watkins (Nickle Creek), The Jade Shader, This Holiday Life, Reeve Oliver, Alex Woodard, Escalera (featuring pro-skaters Danny Way and Bob Burnquist), Years Around the Sun, Ryan Ferguson, and more! All proceeds from the event will benefit Care House, an amazing organization serving homeless kids and teens in crisis throughout San Diego. This year's event also features a silent auction on May 30, and an afterparty at the Belly Up, after the contest is finished, all directly benefitting Care House. To find out more information about the event, check out switchfoot.com/bro-am
2. Blog is the new black: In other news, we've just finished overhauling our home page, and we've added a brand new blog, which will be updated with new content, news, etc... on an almost daily basis! And not only that, but each post allows for comments, and other cool features. And most exciting of all, you can signup for free email updates, delivering the latest switchfoot content, bootlegs, downloads, etc... straight to your inbox. Check it out now, and make sure to sign up at the bottom to stay current: http://www.switchfoot.com/newindex.html
3. Awakening hits #1 on FUSE countdown chart: Our latest video, which combines Tony Hale (Stranger Than Fiction, Buster from Arrested Developement), and guitar hero, has attracted the attention of FUSE TV watchers, and the video has been added to Oven Fresh, Guilty Pleasures, and Self Serve. Many of you voted to get us to #1, and we would be honored if you continued to vote to keep us there. Click here to vote!
4. Australia: it's true, we're finally coming back to our second home! Australia, we love thee. We'll see you in early Sept. Final dates to be announced very soon...
5. US Fall Tour: this is also true, my friends. We plan to announce the details soon for what promises to be our biggest US tour ever. Dates to begin in October... stay current with switchfoot.com for details on advanced tickets.
6. New podcasts! if you haven't checked out our latest podcasts, or subscribed to our free podcast on iTunes, check 'em out. The latest one shows the behind-the-scenes making of for our newest video, Awakening. To download for free from iTunesclick here. To stream the videos from our site click here.
Thanks for listening friends, here's a list of our upcoming shows:
I've been meaning to check out Underoath's Aaron Gillespie's new project "The Almost" for a while now, but little did I know his work could make Switchfoot feel threatened. Interesting. See:
"Gillespie wails on the sort of hard-charging anthems that will probably make Switchfoot seethe with jealousy," noted Spin in a three-and-a-half star review...
While that statement may not be true, it makes me wanna check out "The Almost" even more.
Remember we had a MySpace a while back? Well, they thought we put the Switchfoot songs on it without permission, so they deleted our account with no warning. Sad. Maybe they do suck? Anyway, we finally set out to make a new one. This time we didn't wanna make it a music page and risk having it deleted again because, well, technically, we're not a band, but a band's blog - and those are apparently two hugely different things.
Before I began designing it with resident graphics-genius Cassie's help, I'd decided that our MySpace should own. 'Cause Switchfoot and their fans deserve nothing less than the best. Now, you decide:
Namaste, fams. Took a day off yesterday to design our MySpace with Cassie - we're excited to launch it soon. Got some more things to set straight--y'see, we're trying to combat MySpace's terrible sense of design, and hopefully make the best we can out of it and bring you a page you can stand looking at.
Meanwhile, here's what's been filling up my clipboard, thanks to the day off...
Jon appears in this pretty sweet video with his friends from the band Reeve Oliver. Thanks, Lori.
Switchfoot's latest live-on-video performance was at AT&T's Blue Room. It also includes an interview. Watch here and be amazed (click on "live performances" then on "Switchfoot"). Thanks, *star_gazer*.
LOBH/Michelle posted MP3s of the performances & interview:
lowercase people's Bandfarm store has a few new tees out. Go grab.
A while ago we'd posted a video exclusive with lyrics, of Jon performing a previously-unheard song called "Somebody's Baby", which he introduced thus:
"I saw this woman this one night and she was brushing her teeth, [she was] this homeless lady down by the beach, and I was walking on the beach late at night. And I remember thinking that brushing your teeth when you're homeless must be a real act of hope, and a real act of courage, y'know: just the fact that there's--you're gonna make it through the night and--the need to take care of your teeth, y'know? And I just remembered thinking to myself, um, y'know it kind of bothered me all night and, that's when I wrote this song."
Heart-wrenching stuff. A lot of you have been asking for an MP3 of the video, and I never got around to it... well, until now. Thanks for the latest reminder, Sobe. If there's something you're looking for or something I'd promised but haven't got around to posting, feel free to remind me (unless it's the "Revenge" post... which is on top of my mind, and I'll post it once I'm done with a few projects I'm working on.) Anyway, download the MP3 of "Somebody's Baby" here. (right-click and "save target as...")
Also, from the 2003 concert we posted a few days ago, remember the song "24" was missing? Well, Dunny wrote to us in the comments section and hooked us up with the song, as well as 3 other tracks that were missing at the end of the bootleg (that I didn't know of)! Thanks so much, Dunny. Here they are, right-click and "save target as..."
Okay, so I'm not gonna talk a whole bunch about this song, because it's very straightforward. Instead, I'm gonna try something new. I'm not sure how it'll turn out, but basically, I'm gonna tell you a little story that the song seems to convey. Bear with me, and if it doesn't turn out all that well, just enjoy the song!
It's a beautiful Sunday afternoon, and I walk into this party my friend is hosting. I've been to his parties before, and they're always fun. I know what to expect. But as I'm walking in, I get a feeling that today's going to be different.
As I'm catching up with some friends, something catches my eye. No, it's not something; it's someone. It's her. I've seen her before. But there's something different about her today. Her eyes convey a mystery that I haven't noticed before. They're alive with a fire that melts my heart, and there's isn't a thing I can do. My brain has lost and my heart has won the battle of control, the casualty being my ability to form words and sentences.
I realize that I don't even know her name, but all I want in this moment is to be with her: to get lost in those ocean green eyes, and find myself in a world that I can only dream of. My interest in my friends' week is lost, and I'm standing across from her looking right at her, but the words escape me. My body takes a step towards her, then another. I have no control over my motor skills, and I hope to God that my jaw isn't open wide.
As I get closer, her eyes intertwine with mine. I stop two feet from her, and the world disappears around us. A 'hey' breaks the silence, and a smile creeps across both our faces. The only question in my mind is: 'won't you take me and blow me away?'
Well, there ya have it. If you liked it, awesome! If you didn't like it or it was super-cheesy, just let me know - don't be shy. Hey, if that gets any of you to de-lurk, that'll have been worth it. :D
You can't sit still, I watched your movement From the corner catch my eye, Imagining you here right by my side.
The fire in your eyes is blazing, And it burns right, right through me, Little girl you're so amazing, oh... Don't you know you drive me crazy, And I'd love to get to know you, Here I am, so won't you take me and blow me away.
You seem so close, If I could know your thoughts, if I could read your mind, Some things are never meant to be defined.
The fire in your eyes is blazing, And it burns right, right through me, Little girl you're so amazing, oh... Don't you know you drive me crazy, And I'd love to get to know you, Here I am, so won't you take me and blow me away.
It's now or never... Here I am, There you are, Wish upon a falling star...
The fire in your eyes is blazing, And it burns right, right through me, Little girl you're so amazing, oh... Don't you know you drive me crazy, And I'd love to get to know you, Here I am, so won't you take me and blow me away...
We're still working out some issues with our RSS/email subscription service that have risen since moving the blog to switchfoot.com. It should be fixed and normal service should resume within a day or two, so please bear with us meanwhile. If you haven't yet signed up to automatically receive these Switchfoot updates, but would like our posts to grace your inbox, scroll to the bottom of this page to subscribe - all we'd need is your email address. Also, for those who'd subscribed to switchFeed before we moved here: only what's posted here on switchfoot.com will be sent out from now on. I'm sorry if that's bad news. :) To keep up with posts like the MOTWs, you'd have to visit switchfeed.com. Thanks!
Arpit Mehta just posted this week's MOTW - "mp3 of the week" - over at switchfeed.com, a feature where we give away a free song every week to showcase an (usually obscure) indie artist, alongwith a brief review. Since we don't run this column at switchfoot.com, I thought I'd let you guys who read the blog here know about it, 'cause who wouldn't want some great music for free? So head over there and check it out (use the "[+/-]" buttons to expand/collapse posts). Also, you can RSS this column to your feed reader if you like, so I wouldn't have to remind you every time a new issue is posted. peace out,
Vicky Chiri strikes again. This time it's a "Nothing Is Sound" painted bird to be auctioned off on Bro-am night:
A MySpace blogger comes up with what he calls "The Switchfoot Theory". Even if slightly ramble-y, any Switchfoot fan will get a kick out of this, so go read.
"The point [of my essay] is music and what it's about and the ignorance of stubborn fools who like music because it "sounds" pleasing to their ears rather than looking in depth to what music really is."
Strongly worded? I guess. Check. Grey subject matter? Check. He rates his "essay" a D-? Check. But I'm still gonna give him an A. But then again, I'm a little biased, so.
The homepage of Boom, the production company behind the "Awakening" video, is all Switchfootized. Thanks, LOBH. The site also features a high-quality stream of the "Awakening" video.
There may be someone out there who needs to know about this:
...the Switchfoot show scheduled for Aug. 10 will move to 8 p.m. Aug. 11. Ticketholders should contact the fair box office, (414) 266-7100, to exchange their tickets for the new date.
Popular Switchfoot fan-site "Land Of Broken Hearts" aka LOBH have got themselves a domain name. www.landofbrokenhearts.org. Congrats, Jeanna & co.!
Anyone like these paperboats and skulls floating on these waves? Then thank Cassie, my graphics buddy.
Fuse TV may feel guilty about loving Switchfoot's "Awakening", but we certainly don't mind. Because the video has landed #1 spot on their "Guilty Pleasures" countdown. Thanks, Christina. I don't think it would be a stretch to say that our collective efforts (when we had the votebox embedded on switchfeed.com until a few days ago) has been instrumental in this rise. A little kerosene and a little electric spark from each of us equals some serious chart-burning: good work, amigos. ...speaking of which, maybe I should get the votebox back on the site? The only problem is it makes the page look a little ugly... but do you care?
Let's all go here right now and log another vote for the video, so we keep it at #1, where it belongs. And how bout we do this as often as we can? (idea: make it your homepage.)
A press release on the video that details the amazing innovation that went into it.
We have some sites confirming the Switchfoot + Relient K tour, and they will be co-headlining. Booyah!
I remember once saying "Jon Foreman is the modern-day Bob Dylan", while talking about Switchfoot, during a bus journey with a friend who'd been fed with some of the preconceived notions about Switchfoot that float around. Yep, he hadn't heard any of their music. He said the Bob Dylan comparison was a "huge statement". Maybe so. But I gave him my copy of "Oh! Gravity." and a few days later I asked him what he thought. He didn't say much. He just smiled. Thought I'd share that little story with ya'll when I came across someone else who thinks the same:
After listening to this new release by Switchfoot I realized something that I had never realized before. This power driven rock-band is the Bob Dylan of our time, the group that is most often bringing today’s real questions to the conscience of modern day America. Really; I don’t know why I hadn’t thought of this while listening to their past projects, but it just struck me while I was listening to “Circles”; which by the by is my favorite song on Switchfoot’s latest contribution “Oh! Gravity”
I am not minimizing the macro issues that Hollywood throws its weight behind. Even though I have a hard time taken many celeb’s seriously. It’s just that Jon and the rest of the guys in Switchfoot seem to be asking the real-life questions in their songs. The questions, that when finally answered, can really make a difference to you and I.
'nuff said.
A note about the previous post: I realize that using the freebie rapidshare.com isn't the best option, as the site's interface is a bit confusing, besides, you guys deserve to have the files upped on our server, with direct links to download each file individually right off this page, without any Rapidshare-like hassle. Well, while we're working on that, Alex Welgraven has uploaded the tracks as individual files here for those of you having trouble with it. Thanks, Alex.
This "shlog" entry made me chuckle. Are the Switchfoot guys really that little? I didn't think so. "...my four year-old, Derek Webb and, of course, the guys in Switchfoot are all Switchfoot-sized." Comedian.
Being an Indian makes me Switchfoot-sized by default (our race has a lower average-height than, say, Caucasians). Anyone else "Switchfoot sized" and proud of it?
Wow, what a week it has been. I really didn't think the new blog would go live so soon, let alone look so good. I mean, it's on freaking switchfoot.com. So I'm still kinda just... recovering. Thanks for all your lovely comments. Like some of you have suggested, this is one more way in which the band has broken down the walls between them and their fans. One more to the list of ways in which Switchfoot has dared to be different. One more surprise they've sprung on us.
Allow me a few words in addition to Tim's gracious introduction, for starters. First of all, welcome! My name is Phil, and I will be your host at this blog. I started switchFeed.com almost 6 months ago, on November 26th '06 (wow, it feels so much older than that). It all began late one night in an IM chat conference window between Gellie, Rose, Hailey and myself (boardie friends.) I proposed the big idea and said I was gonna do it, even though I had nil webdesign skills, and some of them understandably doubted whether blogging was suited for a procrastinating, "Chem 6A" guy like myself. I didn't believe this idea would achieve, either, as I've had a lot of ideas that remained just that: ideas. But along the way I discovered what made the difference: passion for the subject of my bloggage. Y'see, I loved the Foot, they'd impacted me far more than my precious sleep, that movie, or my other hobbies, and I wanted to give back, be a productive part of the movement. So it only made sense (except to my parents, of course) that I put my life and soul into this project more than any other I'd ever undertaken. But when I started out, if you'd told me I'd be writing on switchfoot.com in 6 months' time, I'd have advised you to see a shrink. So when Tim approached me with the idea, I was a little confused. To cut a long story short, I'm incredibly thankful for this amazing honor, and I hope to serve the Switchfoot community to the best of my abilities, to be a conduit for conversation and fun on this page. And maybe get to know many of you better, in time. Feel free to get involved in our commenting community (we don't bite), especially those who love to lurk. :P I used to give e-cookies to delurkers on switchfeed.com, but now there might be so many of you that it would be hard to keep up with that (so I guess I'm chickening out of that dare, Christina). I don't have any cool-sounding Napoleon Dynamite line to end this little introduction with, but I do have something else to get this new bloggie started with a bang, it's like the cutting-the-cake part of this inaugural post...
An all-but-complete bootleg package (it's missing "24") with 17 tracks (or cake pieces, if you prefer), from the BYX Island Party at the University of Oklahoma, back in 2003. Jon was more talkative on stage back then... there is a sense of nostalgia about this one. It's the same show where they played that cover of The Police's "Spirits In A Material World" that's floating around (this package includes that too). It was the first time they played "Gone" outside of Jon's bedroom (historic moment?), and boy how far the song has come since then. All the songs flow one into the other, so if you've set your iTunes for gapless playback, you can close your eyes and be transported 4 years back in time. "Back when Jon could get more than 2 words in without screaming girls interrupting", to quote Gellie. Enjoy, friends!
(to download, right-click and "save target as...")
PS. 1) I just happened to stumble by this recording a long time ago, and I'm not aware who recorded it, so if it's you, let us know, and we'll credit you. Thanks Dunny for tracks 12, 15, 16, and 17! PS. 2) Feel free to report any bugs, ask questions, give us feedback, contribute, or suggest ideas to improve the blog, at switchfeed@gmail.com... we'll try our best to reply. Thanks for reading. PS. 3) Thanks Arpit, Gellie, Cassie, Vicky and everyone else who has helped in ways small or big to bring switchFeed to where it is today.
tada! Our friend Phil has been hard at work for the past month creating our new official blog. Many of you may already know him from the blog he's been running for the past year or so on his own at switchfeed.com. Well, we thought he was so good at what he does that we asked him if he would bring his skills to our home page. And so it is with much excitement (drum roll implied) that I bring you (dramatic pause, followed by a crashing cymbal)... well, the blog that you are already reading. We're thrilled that our home page will now be bringing you fresh content on an almost daily basis. And if that wasn't enough (I know, I know, it's hard to imagine anything more), you can also subscribe to be notified via email (or any RSS reader of your choice) whenever a new blog is posted. AND, you can comment and respond on each and every post. I know... sweet. Oh yes, and as I've already demonstrated with this moderately classy post of my own, we will also be using this blog to post things ourselves. Afterall, blog is the new black. Great job, phil. Many more good things to come, my friends. Thanks for being a part of the music. We love technology... but not as much as you, you see! always and forever, -tim
If you're a Relient K fan, or if you live in Australia, you're in for a treat...
Nicole posted this on the official boards:
So I talked to Matt Theissen last night. He said it's pretty much already a done deal, they're already getting dates set (indcluding Florida!). They will be co-headlining, but Switchfoot will be playing last every night.
This is going to be amazing.. my 2 favorite bands in the same place!
Switchfoot will be playing at Sydney, Australia on Sept 1st (Thanks LOBH!) ... but there are rumors that they're planning a full-fledged Australian tour. Don't quote me on that, though.
Director Brandon Dickerson posted a documentary on the making of the "Awakening" video. (Thanks *WHOAi_love_switchfoot*!) Check it out:
Looks like someone's posted a bunch of rare Switchfoot tracks on blip.tv for viewing/downloading. (click "Episodes") Also visit his blog for more goodies. Thanks, Alex.
Lastly, two recent reviews of "Oh! Gravity.", one that slaps the unfortunate "radio rock band" label/image on the band (it's not a bad review though), and a blog review that actually gets it.
PS: Has anyone been watching FUSE's "Guilty Pleasures" countdown? Any news of "Awakening" on there?
[Keith M. kindly brought it to our notice that our eSnips folder has been disabled. I logged in, and apparently we'd violated their policy. I wish there was an easier way of letting them know that we do this with Switchfoot's permission, without having to put my signature on a piece of paper, scan it, and email it to them (yeah, that's pretty much what it says I'd need to do to try to get the folder back.) Also, as many of you have already noticed, our MySpace has been taken down too, for the same reason I'd bet. We're gonna set up a new MySpace (this time it won't be a music page), and as for eSnips, maybe it's time for us to host our mp3s on our own server... meanwhile, thanks for putting up with this - we will find a way around this to make all those downloads accessible to you once again.]
"Awakening" set to Lion King. Result: not bad. Check it out.Thanks popa_razzi aka pop!
I thought this discussion board was a pretty sweet find: apparently it's John Fields (aka strawberrius / see zmix's post) at this round-table of production people, sharing the studio secrets that spawned such landmark music productions as "Dirty Second Hands". For starters, he produced "The Beautiful Letdown", "Nothing Is Sound" and was one of the producers on "Oh! Gravity.". Here's some notable snippets (excluding John's posts)...
mattrussel:
"dirty second hands" which was mixed by john fields is one of my favorite sounding mixes i've heard in the last ten years. really stunning.
Enter John Fields. To reveal that the other songs he cut on the record, besides "Dirty Second Hands", are: "Circles" and "Let Your Love Be Strong" (both mixed later by Tim Palmer). So that's something else we didn't know.
Thomas Lester addresses John in what might be my favorite post on the thread yet, as I completely identify with his love for that "chewy" guitar sound Switchfoot specializes in:
Since we have you here, I've got to know.... tell us about the electric guitars on Circles, especially the dirty ones when they come in big.
Ever since "The Beautiful Letdown", I've lusted for Switchfoot's guitar sounds. They are different than what you hear on the typical record these days. Very "chewy" for a lack of a better description. Circles is about as good as it gets, imho.
I'd love to hear a run down of what you did.
The discussion is pretty current, as you can see, the latest post was made only yesterday - so check back to see if anything else that's interesting comes up. I don't know about you but I love details about their music far more than any other details. ;)
Alright, so since Phil threatened to fire me, I decided I'd take this MOTW section a little more seriously. Honestly though, I haven't even posted anything on my own blog in the last week and a half. You can blame Virtua Tennis 3, Final Fantasy IX, and Planet Earth (the BBC series). Oh, and my Playstation 3 that's been home to all three. Umm, yeah, I'm gonna stop digging a hole for myself now.
This week, I've got a somewhat new artist (new to most... I hope) that I've been digging since I first heard his sophomore LP, and fell in love with his music all over again when I saw him in concert last month. Bryce Avary records albums under the moniker of The Rocket Summer and has been for 10 or so years now. His music, voice, and lyrics have all matured in the process, and even this recording from about 3 or so years ago doesn't do him justice. But it's still a damn good song.
On to why I dig this song. The intro is a beautiful piano piece that I just can't get over. To add to that, Avary chimes in with a gentle voice that soothes you right from the start. However, that's not simply where it stays. Starting in the second verse, the electric guitar, bass, and drums chime in, and Avary's voice takes on a new identity altogether. Well, what do you know, it's a punk song! But not quite... despite his screaming, the song is actually a lifter-upper. Being big into lyrics, I have to say (yet again) that the lyrics are where this song is truly finds its strength: So take me and save me and change me and then make me, And embrace me and embrave my heart for you, No, no, 'cause I can't go on without you, And it's time for something never knowing, oh...
In addition, the repeating chorus is one of my top favored choruses of all time. How many times do we presume so much about those around us? I know that for myself, I used to do a lot of it (and still do some times), and have found it truly detrimental to building relationships. This song is one of repenting and redeeming oneself for the past mistakes. It's about coming back to one particular relationship and approaching friendship all over again with new eyes. It's about letting go of everything, and holding on to what truly counts.
It was incredible that as I started listening to the album again after seeing him in concert that I realized how amazing the lyrics for all his songs were. If you like this track, I would recommend grabbing the entire album. He's got a new one coming out this summer, and I think it's gonna kick tail (keepin' it PG). Oh, and he's gonna be opening for Hellogoodbye (or is already) before he heads out on his headlining tour - I recommend the live show too!
I just ran into a few someones today, Someones that I never really knew, And I used to think how I had them all so figured out...
But no, none of it's true 'cause I never knew you, And now the truth of it is, is I wanna be like you, So hello, good friend, I wanna be next to you, For my head, for my heart, for what's true.
So I'm burning the thoughts of the things that I once said, Because you tore down the walls that the world has put inside my head, And I just get sick of the things that we think, we think we know...
And no, none of it's true 'cause I never knew you, And now the truth of it is, is I wanna be like you, So hello, good friend, I wanna be next to you, For my head, for my heart, for what's true.
So take me and save me and change me and then make me, And embrace me and embrave my heart for you, No, no, 'cause I can't go on without you, And it's time for something never knowing, oh...
And no, none of it's true 'cause I never knew you, And now the truth of it is, is I wanna be like you, So hello, good friend, I wanna be next to you, For my head, for my heart, for what's true.
And as they strolled along, My heart broke out in song, From all the things and the thoughts and assumptions that I had wrong, See now I'll be on my way to make this claim, I'll make it famous in every way, I'll make it stay when I will say...
That no, none of it's true 'cause I never knew you, And now the truth of it is, is I wanna be like you, So hello, good friend, I wanna be next to you, For my head, for my heart, for what's true.
Doug Stern, VideoStatic's (the music-video authority on the web) music-video pro has posted a review of the "Awakening" video, as per my request. "...the group's freewheeling, low-ego spirit comes across on-screen..." Check it out, it's pretty awesome. Thanks, Doug!
Site updates: The RSS feed is back up and running, with posts being sent out (in their entirety) by email every morning for subscribers. Also, many of you reported that the preview to the "Revenge" post was a broken link. It's fixed now. I decided to use MS Word to work on the post, instead of Blogger's editor (which caused the broken link).
Rebecca V. emailed us an interesting blog on "Awakening" a while back. She also emailed us a concert review of the Springfield show on 4/16, posted below (click "continue reading" at the bottom of the post if you don't see it)... Thanks Rebecca! --
A concert review... by Rebecca V.
My journey began around 4:30, leaving my house on the way to the bank and a lovely deli called McAllister's. We decided to stop at the bank for obvious reasons, but we stopped at McAllister's to get the guys some real tea, McAllister's "world" famous sweet tea.
My mom and I arrived at the venue around 5:30 and got a decent spot in line. We were probably 30 or so people back, but it turned out alright in the end. My mom went to ask some of the people in charge whether or not we could bring the guys the tea and lemonade we had gotten them, and so one of the event supervisors took us back to the tour bus. Their tour manager named Jeff took the drinks, and Chad the drummer came out. I was literally shaking, and was kind of taken by surprise. I wasn't sure who would've come out, but I was definitely very happy to see him. He was a lot taller and thinner than I had remembered him, but at the same time it had been almost two years since I had last seen him. We got a picture and he thanked me for the sweet tea saying "Now we'll be awake for the concert!"
I went back in line and was still kind of shaking. I had just met one of my heroes! My mind kept drifting back to when I first started liking the band. Switchfoot has become a lifeline for me; their music has gotten me through rough times. I know a lot about the band, and I’ve dedicated part of my life towards giving back to them, and becoming involved with causes that I’ve come to know through them. Jon Foreman, the lead singer and guitarist, has earned the right at the very top of my heroes list. He is an activist, and he really does change the world.
Soon, they finally were about to open the doors, so they had us line up in two lines. I got in rather quickly and my mom and I rushed to the stage. I was able to get directly in front of Tim, front row. I could not have been happier. The area in front of Jon and Jerome was basically completely taken, but that was ok. To my delight my mom went and sat in the chairs that lined the floor, so I was alone up at the front to take in the concert on my own. I realized then that I was very happy that none of my friends had come. I could enjoy the concert for what it was, not worrying about them, just standing there singing along with the band who I'd grown to love so much. After a long time of waiting, Reeve Oliver came out. They were pretty good, and fun to listen to talk; you could tell they were having fun. As my friend Natasha had warned me before they came on, they would talk about the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and of course, the drummer had a custom drum set with all of the TMNT on it. The bass player introduced all of the five TMNT as his friends too. It was so funny. They had a nice set, not my favorite because I felt that all the songs sounded the same, but you could definitely get into them. During a break of their set, they thanked Switchfoot for letting them come on tour and play before them. "I like that they're here with their tight jeans and bass lines." The highlight was when they played their last song Jon came out and started singing with Sean (lead singer). I didn't recognize him because I really didn't expect it. Then I saw his face when he turned around, and it clicked. I was star struck for about 10 seconds, and then kind of freaked out. Sad right?
Breakdown and setup took forever. But once Jeff put Tim's set list down, I definitely cheated and took a picture of it with my camera. I was so thrilled with the set list. They were playing all the songs that had really affected my life. Here's how Tim’s set list was written: Stars Gravity Ammo Amateur Lovers Company Car Dirty Second Hands Meant To Live This Is Your Life Breathe Sorrow Chem 6A Gone American Dream Politicians One Tonight Faust Shadow Awakening
The list did not go completely as planned. Faust was played after Awakening, and then they added Dare You To Move after that. They added in Yesterdays after Sorrow. Well, onto the concert. They came out, and man I was excited. The first two songs FLEW by, and were so amazing live. Tim and I made eye contact a couple times, and smiled because I definitely was getting the music and having fun. I hope he recognized I was not one of the teenyboppers standing to the right of me. I'm sure he did, I never missed a word. Dirty Second Hands was especially amazing, and definitely my favorite song they played. They completely rocked it out. At the end of it Jon said "I know it's going to be a good night, I'm already bleeding." This Is Your Life was my second favorite song they played live, Jon screaming into his guitar pickups gave me such chills. That's something I always have wanted to experience in person. Before he played Sorrow, Jon talked about the Virginia Tech shootings. “This song for me is kind of a cleanser. This day has been kind of a roller coaster. I don’t know if you guys have been watching the news, and kind of been glued to what has been going on in Virginia, but for me I don’t really know what to make of it, when events like that happen. For me music is a vehicle to maybe start there and go somewhere else.“ Jon's cover of Sorrow is one of those songs that comforted me when I cannot sleep, and I've become dependent on it. I had tears in my eyes when he played it, and afterward when they decided to add Yesterdays in I stopped singing along and just listened and watched. Yesterdays is a song about death, and was basically dedicated to Virginia Tech. Jon wrote it with Tim, and it could've been my imagination but I think Tim's eyes were a little watery. It's such a great song, and I'm so glad they made it faster--as Tim says, it really does “take you somewhere.”
Chem 6A was a great way to get back into a happier mood. Gone was amazing too, and the pause in American Dream was insanely amazing. It seriously looked like time had stopped. They played Politicians and then We Are One Tonight. The Shadow Proves The Sunshine was so moving, I was just disappointed I could not see Jon in the crowd for a good part of the song. During this song, he came over and walked on the railing in front of me. Such a cool moment, though he dripped sweat on the crowd, including me, it was totally fine. I kept imagining him falling off the railing like he had at another show that had made their video podcast, but the crowd definitely helped him along. Drew created the set list, and did such a great job with it. Awakening as the concluding song was amazing. I could not have asked for a better ending, but of course we all screamed "One more song!" They came out and gave us two. They played Faust and Jerome and Chad were playing tambourines. I have no idea what Chad was using to hit his, but it made an amazing sound. The teenyboppers to the right of me ruined the song when Jon was singing "My wife was at the door, with a night robe on." They started screaming at that part louder than any other. It was so disrespectful, I was about to hit them. They ended with Dare You To Move, and that was a great ending song too. The concert was breathtaking, I could not have asked for anything better.
I had asked one security guard before the show for Tim’s set list at the end of it, but he said no. So I begged a different security guard for Tim's set list and got another straight out "no". Jeff to the rescue! Two seconds after I asked the guard Jeff handed the security guard two set lists (though not any of the guys') and so the security officer immediately handed me one since I had asked him. After the concert we stopped by the merchandise table and bought the necessities. My mom already got a Bootleg, so we gave the case back and got the CD. I bought a jacket and a poster. I met another boardie (Kathyrne) who I hadn’t gotten to talk to, and she was very nice. We went outside to wait for the guys to come out. Jon came out after about five minutes, and I got my T-Shirt, from my first concert under the Arch, signed. I had met all of the other guys of Switchfoot except Jon, so I needed his signature to make it complete. I told him I had waited almost two years for it. My mom was in charge of camera duties, and of course she didn't know how to work it. She accidentally kept the strap over the flash, which made a nice dark spot in the middle of the picture. Jon said "I break these things a lot". Luck should have it, my camera battery died. A guy that was next in line took one for me and said he'd send it to me, which was very nice. As Jon went on through the crowd I heard him mention something about the MudHouse, an AMAZING coffee shop a few blocks down. There were rumors of an after show, and as luck should have it there was! None of the other guys had come out so we went to get the car and head over there because Jon had just left to walk there with a few followers. We got there pretty soon after that, I'm not sure if I missed maybe more than one song. I sat right in front of Jon, and man it was amazing to think there's my hero, sitting on the couch right in front of me. I forget what the first songs they played were, but it was awesome. Sean (lead singer of Reeve Oliver) and Jon played a Reeve Oliver song and then a Sea World song, which they got everyone involved in. I asked Jon if I could make a request, and he said "sure." I asked him if he would play Somebody's Baby, to which Sean said "Wow I thought I was a fan, I have no idea what that song is." Jon kind of looked at me like I was crazy, but it was more like he was probably wondering where the heck I had heard of that song. He had only started playing it a month ago, and had only played two times before. But he explained the song to everyone, looking at me a lot while doing so (considering I requested it). He played it, and gosh, the song live is so breathtaking. It is my favorite song Jon has ever written. The way he played it was so caring and thoughtful, it was simply perfect. After that I cannot completely remember what else he sang, but I do know he played Revenge and 24. They played 24 last, and Drew played along with it. I didn't notice him come in, and Andy, their photographer, was with him. I got a picture with Drew afterwards and then the most amazing conversation I've ever heard in my life took place.
I thanked Jon for playing a coffee shop show for us, and he shook my hand for the third time that night and said it was no problem. Then my mom said this: "Thank you so much, playing a show and then this, you must be exhausted." Jon quickly replied, "No, its life giving."
Shadow Proves the Sunshine
Jon had been my hero to begin with, but that sealed it forever. His songs have forever touched my life, and I honestly don't know where I would be without them. He was so easy to talk to, and so thankful for everything. I could not believe when I first saw him that night that it was him. While I sat directly across from him on the floor, I couldn't believe I was in the same room with him, let alone had a conversation with him. Jon is one of the best people I have ever met, and words can't express how much I owe him, and all of Switchfoot. This concert was absolutely perfect. In my opinion, Switchfoot can't hit a wrong note. Jon said during the concert that at the end of the night we're still all family. They have found the perfect balance for a band. I was very sad that I didn't get to meet Tim, because if I have I would've told him this. This concert was more of a reassurance for me, and was greatly needed. Hearing these songs live played by the people that wrote and perfected the songs with everything they believe in makes it so much truer to me than it already was. Switchfoot will be my favorite band for the rest of my life. (To see more pictures from the show, click here.)
(Update:) It's, uh, the REAL phil, with an edit. "Awakening" has made it to FUSE's "Oven Fresh" vote-to-keep-it-alive thingy... so please get an account (if you don't have one) and vote to keep it on the show! Here. Thankyous. --
Many of you took a liking to this fan-made video for Awakening that Josh linked on the switchBoard. Phil thinks we've posted it before, but since I can't remember, I'm going ahead with posting it for all to see. It was new to lots of you anyway:
I found an interview with Jon by a Canadian radio station (uploaded to esnips by a user named anotherjordanmovement). The intro is a bit long, and they insert random song clips throughout, but Jon has some good things to say:
Also, thanks to Job from the boards for linking us to a video about last year's Bro-Am on xtreme life. Some of you may have seen this one before -- I remember people being confused by the fact that they didn't use Switchfoot music in the background. Ha.
And lastly, Natasha (thestarsarecomingout from the boards) informed us of two new events posted in Switchfoot's tour dates section (both in CA). The first is at the Celebrity Surf Jam on June 9th in Huntington Beach, CA. Then on June 12th, the band will be playing at the Apple Store in Santa Monica, CA. Thanks, Natasha.
P.S. Everyone thinks I'm Phil when I post...what's up with that?? :P
Listen up everybody, I've got news for you. According to this book, one of the defining characteristics of a "Christian emo" is that they listen to Switchfoot. Who knew that we all fit into that category?! You learn something new every day... Thanks to idonick94 on the boards for the info and picture scan:
Now we know what it's like to be labelled. So if you'll excuse me, I have to go flat-iron my hair...
When I noticed that you guys were post-deprived yesterday, I thought I'd pull out something from my email drafts for ya'll: a poem I wrote in sonnet form, a long time ago. It was inspired by the following Jon Foreman quote:
4AM is a great time of night. The day before is long dead but the morning is yet to come. All the commotion from the night before has died down and every sane upstanding citizen is asleep. It's a great time to go for a walk. You've got the planet to yourself for an hour or so, so peaceful...even the stars look different: waiting dawn. I feel the same way that the stars do sometimes. Anticipating... the night is nearly over, the day is almost here.
I don't know what I think of the poem now that time has passed, but here it is... thanks for reading.
Epiphanies
It's 4 a.m. as I walk out. Counting Every 1-2 step, saving clipboard Every fifth. Oftentimes stopping, I walk, my gait by whoredings lured. I pull myself away in time, before Fleshly lust ruins my poem. "Civil! Decadence!", cry fables and folklore, Mapping our fall, but hey we're invincible Aren't we? I know I am--in pretense, shallow. I sense a smoother path, staring at graffiti outside the mall I stop, wanting more than humps, lovely nor hollow. My city sleeps inside, ignoring the writing on the wall But I, I anticipate like the stars, in the words of a seer: "The night nearly over, the day almost here."
Remember that concert Jon did for the Q Conference back in April? Maybe you've forgotten. If so, this guy's blog gives us a little review of the night, and has some nice things to say about Jon's performance:
The highlight of the evening, which felt like the crown jewel of the day, was getting a private acoustic concert from Jon Foreman from Switchfoot. We got to hear a song he had never played before and was so beautiful. It felt like a great honor to hear him play.
More old concert coverage: the guys played in Omaha, Nebraska back on April 18th, and the HCHS News Blog put together a little video to recap the night. If you watch all the way until the end, the guy has some funny stuff to say.
As for other small bits of news, The Register-Guard wrote an article about Nickel Creek with a one-line mention of Jon, and if you live in Iowa, here's a reminder that Switchfoot will be playing at YOUR state fair in early August.
A bigger bit of news, LOBH just posted a new interview with the Foreman bro.s on Shine FM. Good stuff.
And last but not least, if you missed the airing of Total Axxess' most recent interview with Jon and Tim (or Tim and Jon), Rebekah (popa_razzi or just "pop" from the boards) was nice enough to record it and post it on esnips for us. It's in four parts: PART 1, PART 2, PART 3, PART 4. Thanks, Pop!
Hola from Theni (I just looked up that place on Google maps, and guess what - they don't have it! I'm off the map. mhm. I don't know why but I feel like that makes me sound very cool. Like I'm in a movie, at the heat of an action scene, and I'm yelling with a bit of panic, "I'm off the map!" How cool is that? ok, yeah, >end mindless ramble<)
If anyone has the "Passion of the Christ" movie on DVD, and knows how to take screenshots, I could really use your help for the "Revenge" post - please email me at switchfeed AT gmail DOT com! Thank you.
See ya'll in a week amigos. -phil
PS: Word of the week: Gellie. But wait, that's not a dictionary word... Maybe FUSE. Or how 'bout "vote"?
iloverock.ca Video Interview #2, and bass guitars.
Thanks to Katrina for sending us the video of her interview for the iloverock.ca contest. That makes this installment number 2 in the series. Thanks also to John Clarke for helping her rip it from DVD. Enjoy!
Also, for the bass players out there (or just those who speak bass), here's an informative interview Tim did with bassplayer.com -- (thanks to Kat, again, for finding this. Today's post is just full of Kat-contributions!)
P.S. We'll be Phil-less for a week or so, due to something that came up. You can make your own conjectures as to what that is. Maybe Phil got a girl? Maybe he's still recovering from the death of a pet hamster. Maybe he's writing a book! -- oh, which reminds me. He said to tell you that he'll be working on his Revenge post while he's gone, and promises to have it for you upon his return. In the meantime, I'll try not to bring switchFeed to destruction.
(Update:) Special thanks to LOBH and Jeanna for their great support with the "Week Awakening" campaign. Rock on, LOBHers. --
Yes, this deserved a new post.
Here's proof. (If you notice, MuteMath's "Typical" has been added in the same round.) Note, this isn't about it getting added on their site (though that's happened too), but on their TV channel! Now for MTV and VH1 to follow suit... and radio.
*uncorks the champagne*
...thanks for heeding the call to email FUSE! (They usually take over a month to add Switchfoot to Oven Fresh - remember how long back that MuteMath video was released?)
Updates on 'Week Awakening' & our RSS/email-delivery.
(Update on 2nd May:) The "Awakening" video just entered an "All Time" ranking! I so didn't see that coming. The 99th Most Linked entertainment video of ALL freakin' TIME. (...I would like to think embedding it on our sidebar counted for something, heh. "Here we are now with the falling sky and the rain, we're veryyyy-cunning!") It currently stands at 412,615 hits - and, though that's not as awesome as 412,412 would've been (as BlackBall00n observed on the video's comments), it's great for a 3-week stint. It's also climbed to the 78th most viewed video this month, from #85 when I made the post below. Keep burning it up those charts, fams! *is proud of us...and the video, of course*
tivo is the new vcr. colbert is the new cnn. youtube is the new mtv.
Also, updated the first part of the post below, spurred by Heather's comment. The RSS feed won't be deactivated (as was originally posted). Read on... --
Hello friends,
rss/email subscription stuff We appreciate all 96 of you who subscribe to our feed either by email or through RSS feed readers - you represent the core of our readership. (...not that all those who aren't subscribed are less loyal, Heather.) I'm amazed and humbled at how that number has grown, because it reflects your interest in what we do here, and tells us we're doing something right. Our coverage may currently be slightly lacking (compared to the standard we tried to set when we started out), as a couple other projects (and family) are keeping me busy. As you may have noticed, our RSS/email feed has started to look a bit ugly, with html code messing up the post titles, older posts showing up, etc. - it's because I'm re-coding our RSS feed for an exciting project we're working on. Please bear with this rehashing that temporarily makes it not so email-ready - it should be clean and good to go in no longer than a couple weeks.
Not only will our coverage be back better than ever, but once our RSS/email delivery is cleaned up, we'll be opening it up such that you can receive ENTIRE posts in your email and your feed readers (instead of the 4-5 line previews you've been getting). I hope you consider that worth the wait - meanwhile, you could scroll down to "switchAddicts" on the sidebar and sign up for updates if you haven't yet. I'm also thinking of making my upcoming long-overdue "Revenge" post an email-exclusive - so if you don't wanna miss that, you might wanna sign up for email updates! (haha I don't mean to con you into subscribing, I just think the "Revenge" post might be more appropriate as a grassroots thing.) :)
week awakening I think we can safely say "Week Awakening" has been a success. The "Awakening" video just made it onto this month's top videos (overall) on YouTube, at #85. Congrats! Have a look at the video's 9 honors so far:
#85 - Most Viewed (This Month) - All #14 - Most Viewed (This Month) - Entertainment - All #13 - Most Viewed (This Month) - Entertainment - English #48 - Top Rated (This Month) - Entertainment - All #28 - Most Discussed (This Month) - Entertainment - All #27 - Most Discussed (This Month) - Entertainment - English #53 - Top Favorites (This Month) - Entertainment - All #28 - Most Linked (This Month) - All #7 - Most Linked (This Month) - Entertainment - All
The video has completed 3 weeks on YouTube. It's got one more week to remain on the charts, after which it will fall off all those charts as it enters a new counting phase for it's 2nd month (from there on it's highly unlikely to make it to any charts, unless it gets linked on google.com, ofcourse. ...anyone know Google's CEO? I wanna make him an offer he can't refuse...) So, why don't we make the most of this campaign, take the video as high on those charts as we can, get as many people as we can to see it (directly or indirectly), until the day the video enters it's second month? In other words, "Week Awakening" for another week, anyone?
