Old News

This is the old news. For the new news...http://www.swordpaw.com/wordpress/news/

Making the EP

Smash Extravaganza.

Our new EP will be released Saturday, July 17. We've had good the fortune of being able to coordinate it with WEXT's 3rd Annual Birthday Bash! The show will be upstairs at Valentine's and includes Sea of Trees (of course), with Sgt Dunbar and the Hobo Banned, The Rain in Spain, and Barons in the Attic. It's $7 at the door and things will kick off promptly at 7:30 to make sure all these great bands have plenty of time to play.

We're really proud of this recording and want it to be heard! We also want to be able to keep in touch with you all and keep you (gently) informed about the exciting happenings planned for the rest of the year. So, we've decided that on the Friday before the show (7/16), we're going to send an e-mail to our mailing list with instructions for a free download of the album. If you're already on the list...Thank You! If not, enter your email in the form below before noon on 7/16 and we'll get you signed up in time for the free download.

E-mail address:

In the meantime, check out this track from the album!

Self-Titled

What's next?

New music!

lago

helicopters

panama snail

littering by accident

the girl who often caught on fire

nunatak

Recorded over the winter, mastered this spring, our new self-titled EP is currently in production!

We're using painted eco-sleeves with hand-carved rubber stamps of original artwork by Dylan's mom!

The release date is July 17 and there will be a party at Valentine's. Details are coming soon and when we know...you'll know!

In the meantime, check out this live recording of Plans to Steal a Bird from the Ale House. It features Jack on euphonium and hand claps!

Hello, Goodbye.

Jack played euphonium, shaker, and handclaps at three Sea of Trees' shows over the course of two short months. From what I've heard, it really added a lot to our 'sound'. But his talents go far beyond that! As it turns out, Jack (under the name Barrow Burrow) writes one hell of a pop song. I'm hooked. From his Facebook page:

"Barrow Burrow’s name comes from the winter I discovered songwriting in Alaska. Barrow - the northernmost town in the United States - signifies my extreme relocation to the north. Burrow - an underground home a mammal lives in to protect itself from harsh weather - signifies the time I spent recording in my apartment waiting for the winter darkness to subside."

Jack is about to undergo another extreme relocation. He will be sorely missed. But, before he goes, we conned him into letting us learn his songs and be the backing band for a Barrow Burrow farewell show. Jack has never fronted a band before. And sadly, this will only happen once. So, don't miss it! These songs are FUN!

Join us next Tuesday (June 15) at Valentine's!.
AM Ghost and the Hoborchestra open.

We will try to start between 7 and 7:30, since it's a Tuesday.

There's an event on Facebook if you're into that sort of thing...Click Here!

Also, you can follow Jack's adventures...here. You will soon be hooked too.

Meet Jack

In the process of completing the RPM Challenge we had the good fortune of meeting one Jack Rosenberger. Jack is Barrow Burrow. Barrow Burrow is Jack.

While we were working on Florence and the Hendersons, Jack was working on an RPM project of his own, This Road is Not a Road. At the end of February there was a small local listening party. CDs were exchanged. A collaboration was proposed. Friends were made. And now, Jack is going be dragging his Euphonium to Sea of Trees shows to help us fill in the gaps left by horn parts that made it to the record that we can't play live.

We're really excited!

Jack's first show with us will be this Friday at Lark Tavern. We'll be playing at least two Florence and the Hendersons songs. Pony in the Pancake will be kicking it off at 9PM.

It's on Facebook if you're looking for more details.
Click Here.

So let me get this straight: this is a concept album about a woman who steals and flies helicopters?

Yes, we're working on a concept album.

This release will follow the early life of Florence, a girl who grows up without her father and is raised by a ghost that lives in her house.

Under the guidance of the ghost, she makes her way through helicopter school and discovers that her father may not actually be dead.

There's a crash and a helicopter robbery that happen as a result.

We're really excited to be working on this type of project. It's been extra fun keeping the overall story in mind as we record- Hope it all makes sense in the end!!!

Visit the RPM Challenge to learn more about Florence and the Hendersons.



Also, we're heading south this weekend to rehearse for a dance show that we're playing on March 6 at:

Triskellion Arts
118 N 11th St, 3rd floor
Bklyn, NY 11211

The details are a little fuzzy, but we'll be playing songs and there will be choreographed dancing. I think it's going to be really cool. Please come check it out, or tell a friend that lives in that neck of the woods!

It might seem like we've lost our minds lately. Hopefully we're not jumping the shark. We're having a great time and hope that you end up liking some of this.

Florence and The Hendersons: an SOT RPM Challenge

Every year, musician's around the world are challenged to record a whole album, 10 songs or 35 minutes of music, within the span of the calendar's shortest month, February. It's not a contest. It's simply a creative exercise that attempts to give musicians the extra push they need toward the satisfaction of finishing an original work. Participants are encouraged to collaborate during the process and the fruits of their labors are ultimately synthesized here.

We found out about the challenge in 2008 when these two great local records came to our attention. We were inspired and signed up in 2009, along with a bunch of other local artists, to complete our own challenge. Some good material and some fun times came from the work, but ultimately the pressure got to us and we didn't make it to the finish line.

It feels somewhat like a day late and a dollar short, but we're trying again. Enter Florence and The Hendersons. This year we've set some strict guidelines for ourselves in hopes of dodging some of the pitfalls that got us last year.


1) The project will be centered around a 1970's Lowery Genie home organ that Dylan recently acquired. It has beats for days that just won't quit. Interesting fact: a Lowrey Organ, on a percussive "marimba repeat" setting - was the synthesizer-like background noise on The Who song "Baba O'Riley".

2) All of the tracking and mixing will be done on a Tascam DP-02 8-track. No computers with their endless supply tracks and effects to bog us down.

3) We'd need a good work space. So, we lugged the thing up three flights of stairs to SOT headquarters at Franklin's Tower where we're already comfortable and have drums, amps, and mics set to go.

4) Mitch will play all of the low notes with his paws on the Lowery's bass pedals. Sorry Mitch.


That just about does it. We're off to a solid start. You can follow along on our blog here.


As a side note...this is completely separate from the new Sea of Trees EP that I wrote about last time.

As a side side note...Sea of Trees will be playing at the Bayou's local original night this Thursday (2/11) at 10:30. Come early though, Hour of Need starts at 8 and the Blisterz go on at 9. It's free.

New Year, New Songs, New Record.

So, it has been some time since we last spoke.

The holiday season was quiet, but Sea of Trees got started early in 2010 with a full weekend of tracking at Collar City Sound. The band worked around the clock from Friday to Sunday under the firm yet loving guidance of Seamus McNulty. We managed to get six songs fully tracked and the rough mixes are sounding great! The studio has all this wonderful old gear and things are sounding, in a word...WARM.

Justin followed us around all weekend with his video camera, being creepy. Watch for Dylan's big scene at 0:25 and my approving gaze at the end. Wow.



Oh, and by the way. We were honored to be on a couple local 'best of' lists for 2009.

Nippertown gave 'Animal Sounds' an honorable mention for its Top 10 albums of 2009.

And, the awesome local listener-supported radio station WEXT ranked 'Lemonvines' at #12 in its Top 50 Local 518 songs of 2009.

Thanks!

• Littering By Accident
• Raccoon (with a Sword Paw)
• Lemonvines
• Breakfast in Deleware
• Pile Homes

Sea of Trees on iLike - Get updates inside iTunes

Rejoice!

This Friday (12/11) we'll be playing our final show for 2009 at Tess' Lark Tavern in Albany. Our good friend, the ever-present, Jared Funari will be joining us. Word is, he's been working on a new project called 'Jezebel's Encore' and plans to unveil some of that material this weekend. The collaboration fuzes the passionate and palpable vocal outpourings of Albany's Jah King with Funari's natural ability to evolve and layer music live through the use of looping.

Sadly, this will probably our last show for a few months. But don't fret! In fact, rejoice! We'll be using that time to get started on recording a new EP. And, we've enlisted the help of some real pros for this one! Our little hearts are fluttering.

Click Here for an interview I did awhile back with the good people at B3nson that spills a few details.

See you soon!

Halloween Freak-Out!, Update

So, this year, Sea of Trees is on top of their game. It's almost two weeks until Halloween and our costumes are just about complete. We had an epic costume making session yesterday and I realized that, though we're pretty good at music, we're REALLY good at arts and crafts. Get your hopes up, because it's gonna be awesome. And, if you can guess what we're gonna be from this picture, we'll give you anything you want. Anything at all. Hold us to it.

$5, Doors at 730, Costumes, Prizes, and musical performances by Sgt Dunbar and the Hobo Banned, Sea of Trees, and Beware! the Other Head of Science.

RSVP on Facebook if you please.

"There's Foam in Everything"

According to the sales rep at Albany Foam and Supply, there's foam in EVERYTHING! And, based on the size of this little-known treasure trove of foam right here in our backyards, I believe him.

We just made a pretty sizeable purchase ourselves. Halloween is coming down the pipe, and if it's anything like last year, the second annual Halloween Freak-Out is going to be a real extravaganza. That's all I'm allowed to say at this point. Well, it's on Halloween night at Valentine's with the beloved BEWARE! the Other Head of Science and Sgt Dunbar and the Hobo Banned.

Last year, it looked like this...the audio's a little weird, but you get the point. SPOOOKY!

Franklin's Tower with We Are Jeneric, Matt Durfee

Consider this the Sea of Trees house warming party. We moved in a long time ago, but we’re just getting around to inviting all of our friends over for a party. Hope to see you there!

Here's some songs to get you in the mood.

• Littering By Accident
• Raccoon (with a Sword Paw)
• Lemonvines
• Breakfast in Deleware
• Pile Homes

Sea of Trees on iLike - Get updates inside iTunes

Introducing...Alessandro Troiano!

If you were at our cd release party in April you saw Alex with us pounding a floor tom, building ridiculous cymbal swells, and blasting trumpet lines. Or, you might be familiar with Alex as the drummer for El Duke. Or maybe this is all totally new to you. Any which way, the good news is that Alex will be joining us as a bonafide 'sometimes-full-time' member. What will he play? Your guess is as good as mine, but you can be assured that it will be done with an unparalled flare.

We finally have some shows lined up too! There's some variety here so there should be a little something for everyone.

August 15 - Valentine's w/Todd is New Each Moment and Love for the Masses, 9PM

August 22 - Beat Shop. Browse the records while SOT plays every song they know and then some, 2-3 acoustic, 3:15-5 electric

September 12 - Franklin's Tower w/We Are Jeneric. SOT house warming party, 9pm

September 18 - Emack and Bolios (Uptown). Stop by for ice cream while SOT plays totally acoustic (no microphones), 7-10PM

And don't forget about the free live EP.

Congratulations to us...

and to all of the other great local bands and musicians who Metroland so graciously honored in their 'Best of 2009' issue.

We were named Best New Band and we couldn't be happier about it!

Here's what they had to say:

In Japan, it’s called Aokigahara and is said to be a site of supernatural curiosity, but around here, Sea of Trees are one of the most exciting indie rock bands to come along in some time. Only a couple months after the release of their debut Animal Sounds, the band already have become rather well-acquainted with local clubs and radio. Get used to the name; you’ll be seeing a lot of it.

Free Download!

On March 26, 2009 we played a live set at the Linda in Albany, NY. The show aired a few days later on WAMC Northeast Public Radio. We were so happy with the recordings (thanks to excellent house engineering by Kristin Gilbert and Ben Morgan and recording/mixing by Adam Clairmont) that we decided to make them available as a free download HERE.

We trimmed it down to what we thought were the best songs, including four from Animal Sounds and three previously unreleased tracks. Please enjoy!

Are you the neighbors?

Last week Dylan and I made the surprisingly short trip to The Copperworks in Pittsfield, MA. According to their website, “The Copperworks is the destination for an innovative do-it-yourself community focusing on new media arts, bicycle culture, and green technologies.” Just a little over a year ago, the old brick warehouse that once housed the Pittsfield Cornice Works, was in a state of disrepair. The hard work of a few local artists has transformed the space. In addition to vintage bicycle tinkering, cabaret art classes, and outdoor movie showings, Copperworks hosts some surprisingly big name bands (though really they’re still pretty small names) from the indie-folk to avant garde.

We went to check out the Seattle-based trio, The Dead Science who stopped on their way between New York and Montreal. Early this spring, Vetiver was touring in support of their latest album Tight Knit out on SubPop and made Copperworks their last stop in the US.

Despite the old timey admission ticket and custom drawn stamp that you receive at the door, the overall atmosphere is relaxed and informal. There’s a small stage in the corner. The exposed brick walls are adorned sparsely with found art. And, of course, there are bikes.

On the drive home we decided that there ought to be more places like this. We agreed that, inevitably, there would be, especially as the price of gas rises and people continue to return to the more enriching living arrangements that small walkable cities provide.

Speaking of which, a similar type of venue popped up closer to home in the city of Troy within the last year. Located at 51 3rd Street, and known by the same, this mixed-use art/music/performance space is also home to the Troy Bike Rescue.

This Thursday, Albany’s own The Rain in Spain (if you haven’t checked them out already, what are you waiting for?) will be playing host to two Denver bands on their way through the Area.

51 3rd says:
Denver's The Kissing Party, perhaps the best damn jangle pop outfit west of Chicago, promise to snap, crackle, and pop along with precise songsmithing and bouncy melodies. Combining cleverness with emotion, the Kissing Party make the perfect songs to put on mixtapes to woo that cute boy or girl at school. Back when kids used to do those sorts of things.

Touring with the Kissing Party are Denver's The Jim Jims. Angular guitars, pounding drums, and desperate vocals create a red hot post-punk explosion.

Garage Bands in The Garage

The Albany Public Library is hosting some great local music this summer at the Garage Bands in the Garage concert series. The kickoff is this Friday and we're sharing the bill with Ben Karis-Nix, Ashley Pond Band (who just released their first record as a trio), and Mysteios.

The free after-hours, all ages rock shows take place on the third Friday of each month this summer from 6 to 8 p.m. in the garage at the Main Library’s back entrance on Elk Street. You can hear some great local bands, get a library card and check out books from the Bookmobile, and buy used CDs (just $1 each, or $1 for a grab bag of 5 mystery CDs without cases) retired from the library’s collection at the Garage Bands Garage Sale.

Grab a lawn chair, pack a picnic dinner, and enjoy some great music at the Main Library this summer at the Garage Bands in the Garage concerts.

The rest of the summer looks like this:

July 17: We Are Jeneric, Space Lounge

August 21: Tern Rounders, the Black Fuel

September 18: Red Haired Strangers, Rattling Baddlies

Sea of Trees Weekend Retreat

In pursuit of data, information, and, ultimately, KNOWLEDGE, we'll be retreating to a secret location in the nature for the weekend. Hopefully some fun recordings will result.

Sunday Night, upon our return, we'll be playing a very pleasant evening of music at Red Square with our friends Cats Don't Have Souls and guests Finding Fiction.

If we weren't going to be away, we'd be at Valentine's Saturday night for Ashley Ponds CD Release. SHUCKS!

The guiro is often called "The Fish"

The güiro is a percussion instrument consisting of an open-ended, hollow gourd with parallel notches cut in one side. It is played by rubbing a wooden stick ("pua") along the notches to produce a ratchet-like sound. The güiro is commonly used in Latin-American music, and plays a key role in the typical cumbia rhythm section.

The Sea of Tree's fish will played with some serious flare tomorrow night (May 12) at Savannah's. Starts at 8:30 and it's totally free.

In other news...you can now pick up Animal Sounds at Last Vestige in Albany for 5 bucks!