I’ve had occasion to produce music at home a few times this past year. Usually, I’ve relied on brilliant engineer friends to make my music sound orderly and fly. But it’s been pleasant to be at the helm. Check these sketches out…I’m making them for a fellow named Ben Coleman, who makes beautiful Origami Bonsai, and explains the work with online videos.
It’s fun to make music in a customized way…if you have a project, or a need for musical accompaniment, please contact me!
Some of you know my brother Austin. He’s just home from a second trip to Kenya, where he’s working on a project called Village Beat. They’re making a film about street youth (called Tough Bond), and also providing a platform for people there to speak through.
So dig it!, they made this music video just before heading home to NYC. It’s for a hip- hop group in Nairobi called KMU. Amazing song…CHECK IT!!!
Many thanks to our friends and family and fellow funkanauts who came out to the Elbo Room last night. It was a great time, and a Grrrreat successss! Here is the new EP, for only $4! Take a listen…
Hey Bay-Bays- (my term of endearment for Bay Area folk…this post is for you:)
As the Home Phone Release Party approaches, the night is looking more and more special. A tastey DJ spins classics and quasi-classics, guests from here and afar drop in to sit in, Roy G Biv rehearses their rootsy love music, and Peck and his band sharpen their kung-fu.
Yes yes, allll according to plan. So I beseech you to mark it off on your calendar: next Monday night, September 20th, 8pm at SF’s Elbo Room, Bay-bays. It’s going to be a night to remember, and for a mere $8 dollars, you’ll catch all these musicians en vivo, AND get a FREE download of Home Phone, my home-made ep. (if you’re working late, or you’re just plain broke, remember that the cover drops to $3 after 10:30, and maybe even lower later…)
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And while thoughts of Home Phone dance in your imagination (“what’s it gonna sound like?”,,,”how will it feel when I get to the party??”), I want to plant another seed, and tell you about my next ep: Ghost of Payphone, a lunar counterpoint to sunny home phone, full of glitches, beats, rhymes, and serious jokes.
Yes yes, it’s allll moving forward, just as planned. Last month in Ventura, in a $100 dollar mansion, myself and a band of brothers convened, and began tracking Ghost Of Payphone. Below is a taste of the week’s work, featuring the talents of Tomas del Toro Diaz (producer/writer, below), Greg Scott II (singing/writing), and David Whitten (slappa d bass, ). This song’s called “Kalimba”, it’s a work in progress:
This is Tomas, who has wide musical horizons. Look at the brain on him!
Cameron Forsley's Home Phone Companion Poster, available soon!
The hour draws near. On Monday, September 20th (which is the final night of summer), y’all come out to the ELBO ROOM, for the HOME PHONE ep Release Party! Me and the new band will be holding court, with two sets at 9pm and 10:30pm. So whether you’re crashing early or working late, we got you covered.
Kicking off the proceedings is one of my favorite bands, Roy G Biv and the Mnemonic Devices. Such a gorgeous band, so inviting and vibed-out.
The cover is $8, with a top-secret $3 ticket for those coming after 10:30pm. (that’s you, foodies, recording engineers and musicians…)
The beautiful poster art above is by Cameron Forsley, of 16th & Mission fame. It’ll be available in limited edition at the party, lovingly printed and rolled out for $5 bones.
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Now, it’s no secret: I love having my picture taken. & My favorite person to pull the shutter is Cat Rivera. Since HOME PHONE was recorded at my home, (by producer Miles Kennedy), I invited Cat over to document my native habits. Scroll down to the bottom for some of the results…
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Lastly, because you are my special ones, who visit me here in my home, I wanted to sneak preview two new tracks to you: “Cynical Watcher Mr.Peep” and “Alakazam”, which will both appear on Reach For the Sky, a tribute album for the late Sky Saxon. I’m honored that these covers will reside alongside those of Nels Cline, Mike Watt, Billy Corgan, and a whole host of other folks. I can’t wait for these to drop! To learn more about the album, visit Skysaxon.com, which is maintained by Sabrina Saxon…
THAT’S IT FOLKS, till the next leaf of this book. I hope to see you all on the very special night of September 20th at the Elbo Room! Also, I’d be much obliged if you would pass on the facebook invite .
Thanks to you all, my dear inner circle folk.
LOVE, PECK
My friends- To start, here is “You’ve Got To Work It”, from our recent set at Samapalooza. It was shot with panache by Logan Grime. This is a song from my forthcoming EP, called HOME PHONE.
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In related news, join us for the Home Phone Release Party! September 20th, at the Elbo Room.
ROY G BIV – 9:30 pm
PECK- 10:30 & 11:30
Celebrate the home grown funk with myself and the new band. We’ll be playing all the music from the new record, as well as some real adventurous instrumental music. Here’s a taste of a recent rehearsal:
Blogging now to catch my breath, and process a monster month, y’all
First came, love, then came marriage, then came…nonono
First came SAMAPALOOZA:
Isn't that stunning?
Me and Brian Wilkerson, having a moment
I always have high expectations for Samapalooza fest, but Keating, Beletto et al surpassed them this year. Lotsa dancin, lotsa mirth. I also had an interview with Cat Caspar of ROOTJAM.COM, an interesting site centered on sharing musical stem files…have that video for you soon.
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Next was an adhoc show at VIRACOCHA, my favorite hideaway in SF. Shared the bill with
CHAPPO
fearless they were
CHAPPO is from Brooklyn. They sound like angry candy, and were 100% universally loved by SF. Their album is available (name-your-price, potentially free) on their bandcamp page.
Also at Viracocha was Jascha Hoffman, a guy I’ve been hearing about for along time, and finally had a chance to play alongside. His music is full of life, dagger-sharp witty.
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Later that week I spent a day recording with Nino Moschella, a funk soul brotha I admire, at his Bird & Egg Studio. Worked on a tune called “Whirlwind”. The semi-finished result is here:
Thennnn, I paid a whole lot of parking and traffic tickets, had a passport rushed to my door by some mercenary company, and flew to Canada with very little $ in the bank…Hung in Vancouver and Victoria, was a guest at a wedding and met a lot of LOVELY human beings. I hope some of you are reading this… I’ll be back to BC, no doubt.
Other mischief and reports soon…ps check out the LISTEN section, new! For a limited time, “Underwear” is free for download there. Please download some more of the tunes and help a broke minstrel.
LOVE
PECK
Last summer, my biggest surprise was SAMAPALOOZA. My old friend Andrew Keating had asked me to play at a festival out on Atherton Dr, in Novato. I agreed, and arrived to find a secluded plot of oak and olive trees, a big pond, and a human scene of debauched bliss. There were 10 bands, lovely food and drink, a big parachute over a big stage…let’s just say these folks go BIG.
This year’s lineup is diverse (and killer), and for the first time people are going to be camping. For my part, I’m bringing a band (of strictly monsters!!) It’ll be good to play with some great musicians, something I’ve missed a lot since the Crymuscles went dormant last fall.
This Sunday Night, I’ll be sharing a cozy venue with a few crazy progenitors of sound:
9pm
Blue Six (3024 24th St. SF 94110)
Peck the Town Crier (solo)
Timosaurus (led by tenor saxophonist Matt Nelson)
Kapkowski
Cover is Five bones, a steal……….
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This June, I’ll be releasing a new video piece. It ain’t a music video, but rather a “catching-in-the-act” of myself peacefully disturbing the peace. It involves this song:
“LOVE SEEIN’ LOVERS” (the first single of my summer-coming ep, HOME PHONE)
Hey, here are two pieces by or about my friend Naftali Beane Rutter. Readers of my blog will know him as the director of the “Underwear” video. But Naf is a versatile and brilliant filmaker.
Recently, he premiered his first feature-length documentary, TODAY. It is a meditation on the daily lives of three New Orleans families. The Idiom blog had this to say about it:
http://idiommag.com/2010/05/today-in-new-orleans/
By way of a day job, Naftali produces short web pieces for the Wall Street Journal. Here’s one about a Spanish brother and sister ballet duo. The music is by my old friend/guru Luke Westbrook.
Thanks for keepin’ it real, fellas.
Peck 