Acoustic Manoeuvres in the Dark (part 1)

Hello dearest friends,

So given that I spent most of last year playing guitar and shouting my lungs off on the streets of the Netherlands, when I came back to the UK I made the decision to do my guitaring and lung flexing in a nice warm studio without the bemused faces of the public rushing past me every few seconds. That was when I hooked up with the awesome Mr Donny Stax. Since then I went on to make a whole album with him in the warm, only venturing out into the cold to go get some snacks and milk for coffee and tea.

The album is pretty much finished now, just a bit of topping and tailing to do (whatever that means!), and a couple of the tracks are already out in the public domain. So it was time to return to my roots, to service the 'standing on the streets singing' side of my persona. Although the album is all beefed up and drum enhanced, the songs contained there on were in the main based around some chords I came up with on the guitar. It gives us the advantage of being able to perform some of our songs acoustic, just as God intended.

So not wanting to annoy the almighty in any way, we got to work in our stripped down state (ladies, I know what you're thinking right now, don't be so dirty, we weren't nude...THAT video is for the private collection only). 2 men 1 guitar (not quite the water cooler topic of 2 girls 1 cup).



With moody lighting and a little smoke machine down by my feet, we sat and performed our debut single 'Touched a Nerve' as well as it's B-side 'Unordinary Day' (video of that to follow soon).
It took us about twenty five takes to get the bloody song right, and by the end my hand felt like I had been fisting a mouse, all sore and stiff. I moaned about it, as is my guitarist right. Big props once again to Urban Flava TV for letting us vent our sounds in it's many forms.

Donny Stax and I have been rehearsing our set up ready for some upcoming live events, so I imagine there will probably be a ruddy live version of Touched a Nerve coming up at some point it the future, just to complete the trilogy of a song (original, acoustic & live).

I have nothing else to say on the matter right now, so that's it...

SPOON BRIGADE!!!!!!!

Oh...
...well, it would seem I did have something else to add to the matter, Spoon Brigade apparently, whatever that means!

Peace and infinite love

[adj] - Andy D Jackson xx

Why don't we all go Live Up There?

Hello friend based life forms,

Before I launch into full blogification, I have a confession to make. I am an alien. There, I said it (or, wrote it even), got it off of my space chest. It feels good to say it, makes me feel more...alien you know. I mean lets face it, would you really want to be from this planet? I know I don't, which is why it feels good to come out of the space closet and just say it, I am an alien.

I AN ALIEN! HEAR ME ROAR LIKE A SPACE LION.

The almighty space lion, oh yeah!

In my time down here on Earth, I have noticed several things, mainly related to the infinite stupidity that is enacted on a minute by minute basis by the entire human race, I mean come on, surely you guys can do better then this. I was visiting an Earth bank the other day, and while standing in line (we float in line in space, queuing is usually the best part of space commerce) I witnessed a robbery, right in front of my eyes. A man in a suit and tie, very smartly groomed (probably by a team of highly trained badgers) smiled at the customer and then forced her to sign this piece of paper, and effective immediately the man had the power to crush this poor woman's whole being. I was horrified! I pushed past the queue and confronted the man, I told him to put the pen down and stop harassing these innocent people. He raised his voice at me, telling me to calm down, but I wouldn't, I shouted at him "What the fagingle are you doing here? You should be arrested". I called the space police and explained the situation, but the local Earth police arrived before the space ones, so I was forced to yet again use my alien brain scramble device to escape from the situation. If I had a yannicklistik for every time that device has saved my life I would be a rich alien that's for sure.

This is my cousin Hixillilix posing for the parchment.

Anyway, let's get onto the main point of this blog, and that is that aliens have been on this planet for a long time, probably even longer then the monkey human things. Aliens are very good at covering up their tracks, that's why we don't have lots of alien footprints in mud up next to the bears and bigfoots in boring overpriced museums. Aliens are good at hiding, they are so good at it in fact that they are even in every Where's Wally book at least three times, but no one has ever seen them there ever, not even me. Well, according to this brand new song that has been channeled from the future, there have been stones dug up with pictures of aliens doing the thumbs up. As you can clearly see on the cover to the new single by Donny Stax & [adj].
The song itself tells of possible future senarios in which human kind could join us aliens up in space, it's nice up there, really it is...not as many trees in actual space, but it's nice and peaceful, you don't have to listen to anyone moaning about overpriced tinned sweetcorn or the hopeless sinking feeling in their soul at the thought of spending another day on Earth. So, as the song suggests, you humans must look to the stars for your new home.

This is the second single from the upcoming multi awarding winning debut album 'Fine' by Donny Stax & [adj], you need to get your ears around this as soon as possible, it has already broken all pre-order records in history and it isn't even pre-orderable yet! Hell yeah! You should leave a comment on the track, it will secure your place in history...do it, do it, do it NOW!!!!!
.... (pause - take a deep breath and then continue)

... (feel better for that?)

Good.

Now after you've posted a nice comment (make sure it's a nice one, us aliens don't respond well to haters), then you are free to leave this blog and go elsewhere on the internet...I suggest searching for cute kitten video's on youtube, it's the favoured pastime of all aliens on Earth.

Peace and cosmic love

[adj] - Andy D Jackson xxx

'Unordinary Day' available + 'Lost Soul' with SE 84

Hello frienderinio's

So how's things? You good? Did you get that thing on your neck seen too? What did the doctor say, that you should have it removed? Well, I'd think about it carefully coz life without a head can be pretty tricky.

[adj] adventuring creative update - So, there is some new material that I am associated with that has just become available to the internet visiting people from all around the world. Firstly, there is the B side to the first single with Mr Donny Stax that I done gone and did. The single 'Touched A Nerve' has done amazingly well, having spent three weeks at the top of the download charts even though it's only been available for two weeks, and netting us a 'songwriters of the year' award from no less then Jesus himself, AND he is coming back to present the award in person, the party is next week, bring your own water (Jesus will convert it to something stronger when you get here).

the inverted cover to 'Touched a Nerve'

The B-side to our multi platinum award winning debut single is 'Unordinary Day'.
It can be purchased on Itunes by clicking here or here......... both links go to the same place, but I figure that maybe the second 'here' would be more appealing to some people because of the beautiful line of dots after it, .... ahhh, they sure are soothing to look at, them little full stops in a row, reminds me of simpler times when all life was contained within a single atom.

................

also in the news, I have gone and recorded a song with another artist from Audio Venom, Mr SE 84, to be included on his upcoming mixtape. As a singer/songwriter I am not all that familiar with the mixtape formula, I tend to think in albums or EP's, but, in Hip Hop it seems that mixtapes are all the rage and I just have to get with the flow bro or else I am in danger of looking like some crusty old man with no street sense innit. Well, I do have street sense because I have been on a street before, many times in fact, and many streets, I have a sense for them...err, a sense of urgency to get off of them and into a nice comfy sofa. Now THAT's good street sense.

Anyway, the track we did 'Lost Soul' will be featured on SE 84's mixtape called 'Belly of the Beast', due for release very soon I believe. I am sure it will go multi platinum just like all the records I have ever featured on have... (ahh, soothing, soothing dots)
Here is a preview version of the tune which you can download for free as well, should you be so inclined.


Also coming up very soon will be acoustic versions of some of Donny Stax & [adj]'s tracks, as well as the second single 'Live Up There' (hopefully with a sweet video to follow). We have been practicing, ready for live performances in front of the millions of people that are clambering to see us live... not long to wait now.

So, in conclusion, this man was dead before the paramedics arrived, and the killer escaped out through the cat flap after having consumed the cats food...I have deduced this from the cats expression.

Peace and infinite love
[adj] - Andy D Jackson xx

Interviews with Donny Stax & [adj]

So friends,

When you release a single you have to do all the other maguffin that goes with it, like get a cover for it (done), make a video for it (done), promote it (doing it), and talk about it in front of cameras with people that you don't know.

Well, interview time came, and we gone done one didn't we.




oh yes, a full interview with myself and Mr Donny Stax, complete with Sue the interviewer.
I just focused on my guitar, my little safety net from answering any questions.

You can buy the single from itunes here for the small price of 79p, or whatever the conversion of that is in other currency, I don't know, and I'm not about to go searching to find out, just buy the single already and make this little adventuring creative very happy.

Donny and I have been mixing the album, it's sounding crisp, with no dud songs in sight. We even recorded a last minute addition to it on Sunday which includes the DGAFM massive of Truth, Tex and Cito. It's a banging last minute track, and a possible single contender to boot.

Alien thumbs up!

Also, coming out friday hopefully will be the B-side to Touched a Nerve. It is the first tune we did together and it's called 'Unordinary Day', stay tuned for details.

So, we move onwards to work on the second single 'Live Up There', which has a spacey theme, and will finally explain to the world what our logo means, or at least one of our logos anyway. We will be making a crazy video to go with it. It will be out soon.

Peace and infinite chips

[adj] - Andy D Jackson xx

'Touched A Nerve' video and single release

Hello friends,

Oh yeah! Here it is, the video for our first single release.

If you would like to purchase the single from Itunes, just click the link below to be transported to the Ihub thingy. Itunes it up here!

Released under Audio Venom, this is the first song we are releasing to the world from our upcoming album 'Fine'. The whole album has been recorded, it's almost finished mixing too, so we will be putting up another single soon, to entice you into purchasing. It's what musicians use to do when I was a kid, I don't know if it works anymore but it's all I know.

Anyway, hope you enjoy the video.

Peace and infinite love

[adj] - Andy D Jackson xx

the video shoot for 'Touched A Nerve'

Hello friends,

With the album approaching completion, it was time to start work on all the publicity stuff, you know, standard music fare, bit of video, bit of photo, bit of logo stuff...

'Touched A Nerve' single cover

Our debut single is 'Touched A Nerve' released 9th March 2011, available on Itunes and other music providing places for people that hate Itunes and have not yet fallen under Angel Steve Jobs zombie mind control spell. We made a video for it, and this is the blog about the video shoot.

So, let's walk through the shoot bit by bit and paint the picture for our activities back on the 3rd of March. We had an early start for musicians, meeting at midday. The plan was to shoot mostly outside, and the weather had chosen to be iffy at best, with rain on the agenda from early on. This was a problem, we didn't really want a rainy shoot because we were planning to be where mud was, and mud and rain are good friends, sticking together closely and then hugging shoes and trouser legs for all they are worth. This was not what we had wanted, we wanted nice blue skies and dry dry mud.

Beauty had screen printed up two T-shirts for Donny and me ([adj]) to wear, they have the alien thumbs up logo on, as well as both our names. I quickly slipped into mine and proudly wore it the whole weekend.

We all met up at my place, by which time the rain had stopped (how typically English of me to complain about the weather so much!), we packed up the car and began the short drive round the corner to the park of choice. In typical forgetful musician style, I managed to forget my guitar, so I had to run back and get it (duh!). Peter (the director) and Beauty (my beauty) were on camera duties, stills being lovingly taken by Beauty and the filming being done by Pete. Donny Stax was both star and driver, and [adj] (me) was going to be in it too, but not do any driving because I am not qualified to do that.

We filmed up by this awesome tree that has loads of tree eyes up it's trunk, scars of branches past, limbs hacked from it by either humans with chainsaws or harsh weather conditions (there I go with the weather again!). They looked amazing, and deserved to be filmed. With the song playing to us from a laptop and a camera in our face, Donny and I sung our song in the cold.

After a few passes by the eye tree we headed back to mine for coffee and tea, while there we did a couple of passes of Donny and I sat on the bench out the back.

Once we were full of caffeine and sugar we headed for the car once more to go up to the rolling fields of Brighton known as The South Downs. Pete enjoyed the ride so much, and Dan's road rage, that he filmed us in the car as well.

Reaching the Downs we ventured onto the muddy path with all our equipment and trudged up to where we hoped to find cows. The sun was breaking through the clouds and by the time we made it to where the cows weren't, the sky was blue. It was windy up there though, and there was lots of poop to be avoided, but no cows anywhere. So, cowless, we filmed us playing the song between some lovely electricity towers, while my hair danced in the wind and Donny's hair stayed gelled firmly in position.

Once we made it back to the car and scraped the mud from out shoes and trousers, it was back to Donny's studio for some more caffeine and the final part of filming. We de-shoed and went into the studio, doing a couple of passes of Donny and I playing in front of the computer we mixed on, and then doing a couple of passes of us in front of the microphone in the recording booth. Then we stopped.

Once I got home I was so tired from constant guitar strumming and vocaling that the rest of the day was spent past out in front of DVD's, drinking tea. I didn't care if it rained again, I wasn't going out for anything.

I hope you enjoy the video as much as we enjoyed making it.

Peace and infinite love

[adj] - Andy D Jackson xx

B-Side problems...

Hello friends,

There appears to be new regulations in the music world! Again! Now, you can only release single songs as singles, no more B-sides. If you want to put out two songs as a single, they are two separate singles, no longer an A track and a B track. It used to be that a single would have as many as 4 songs on it, those were the days when artists could put out the material that didn't make the album for people to enjoy. I guess that Pop acts have trouble with this level of output, since they are manufactured fluff, and having extra tracks to release is not on their agenda. Oh well, this probably isn't that new is it, I'm just well out of touch with it. It's touched a nerve with me, which is appropriate for our single I guess.

So, since we have a B side track prepared, we will release it in another way. It won't be a single, it was never destined for that. But it will be released to the world, oh yes it will.

the B-side gets it's own flappin' cover!

This is the cover for the B-side, not the single, that's the one below.

'Unordinary Day' was the first track that Donny Stax and [adj] (me) did together, it's a nice little tune, but it didn't make the album cut. It was us getting to know how each of us worked and learning to make it gel. Now if that's not the kind of tune that should make up a B-side then I don't know what is. Of course, mainstream artists don't need a learning curve, it's all pre-done for them so they can go learn the choreography for their little swooshy dance number that goes with their [s]hit single 'Oh Baby Yeah', and no B-side is required, putting rubbish remixers out of a job. Good work music industry (sigh).

the single cover, which makes sense, unlike a B-side cover

Sorry to rant on about it, but I feel a little disheartened as an artist, us creatives need ways to express our creativity, sometimes it's not album worthy, but it still deserves to be heard.

We have a second single in the works too, to help promote our upcoming album. We also have a B-side ready for that single, so I guess it will be getting the same treatment as this one and probably it's own flappin' cover.

Oh well, back to it I suppose...

Peace and infinite love

[adj] - Andy D Jackson

xx

Old Private Familiar

Hi friends,

It's been a while since I put up a new track, so thought I should. Track 6 from my Autumn album 'In the Light of the Goddess'. This one is called 'Old Private Familiar' and is about how distorted views of the past can be. Enjoy :)




There are still 6 songs to come from this record, and they will come out in the next few month I promise. In the meantime though, the debut single by Donny Stax & [adj] 'Touched A Nerve' will be available from Itunes from 9th March.

Thanks for listening

Peace and infinite love

[adj] - Andy D Jackson xx