Pick It Up As You Go

THE ROUGH SHAG SESSIONS Pt2 - And here is another one, another new track recorded the same way as two weeks ago. You need to have imagination to really envisage how these songs will turn out, but this was written at 5pm yesterday, introduced to the band at 9pm and recorded at 9.30pm.

This song has SUPERMASSIVE HUGE potential, 12 strings, brass, bagpipes, the lot! Please make comments to your heart's content. This is now serious, we're back.

You can download it NOW here:

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=ZAEU25BJ

And here are the lyrics because the vocals are a bit quieter than the last one:

PICK IT UP AS YOU GO

There need to be some joy / For every girl and boy
This world is now a toy / That needs new batteries

You pick it up as you go / And carry this heavy load
From a prince into a toad / Compliments & flatteries

It’s all over before it’s begun

Twenty days go by / Without a fresh alibi
Now I don’t mean to pry / But it feels the same

As when Weller put it down / With a growl and twisted frown
We are gonna drown / And we’re all to blame

It’s all over before it’s begun
It seems our day is done
We need to feel the sun………on our skin

When I was growin up / When I was just a little pup
They said things were looking up / That was 30 years now

Its worse than ever before / You can stick your holy war
Its all been done before / Theres no sacred cow

Its all over before its begun

(c) The Cheesemakers (r) 2009

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So some themes developing I think and a very strong record on the way. Things are certainly looking up for the band at the minute and achievements are being made.

One last note, be wary that Geoff got his camera out last night and was taking some snaps...maybe see some here soon! ;o)

Thats all for now good buddies

More soon

Andy

Radio Killed The Video Star

Anyone for tennis? Here's an idea. For one of aforementioned videos for a Cheesemakers song, I'd like to use random footage of Cheesemakers followers and associates and piece it all together to make a video. Doesn't matter what you're doing, making a sandwich, taking a shower (ahem), gardening at night, just send me a short clip, 30 seconds or so, and we'll put together a tribute to the hardyest of followers in the world. Send them direct to me at afne04343@blueyonder.co.uk If we have no takers we'll assume everyone hates us! :o)
Thanks for the comments so far on new stuff.
Andy

Calling All The People!

THE CHEESEMAKERS RETURN
As if to prove that The Cheesemakers are rumbling back into gear here are some photos from 24 hour ago in our brand new state of the art studio and also a brand new rough as a badgers' track.


The band are working hard at a new set list, bringing back in old favourites and polishing a few turds and it's coming along well. Live sets and another album are in the offing, as stated in the post last week



The song is recorded using the method we have to get rough working recordings so that we may develop and work on songs. Don't be put off by the roughness of the sound, here is how we do it:


We use a simple, back to the eighties Boombox type contraption, stick it on the floor with a pair of old mans size 48 kegs draped over it as a baffle, and record direct into the crappy in-built microphone. We then enter the 21st century and stick it through some audio cleaning software before changing it into an MP3 then usually sticking onto a CD. Now, we have embraced future technology by throwing up to Megaupload so that it may be the mother-host, where you can download to your hearts content.

Anyone unfamiliar with the process, click on the link, select Free User, watch the clock tick down 55 seconds or so in the queue, then click Download, then select whether you want to Open or Save, then Bob's yer bleedin' uncle. "You look like the PLUMBER!"

Here is the link:

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=1AGC0BIB

Anyway, japes aside, make no judgement on this song, or any of these type of tracks, they are mere working tapes, just wanted you to see how we work. This one was written Wednesday afternoon (48 hours ago) and the recording you hear is the third take ever!

So give it a listen, let us know what you think, get involved and be safe in the knowledge that sometime, someplace in the cold still of the night, these men are still making a bloody racket!

What's it about? Pretty heavy gear, the state of the nation, increasing unemployment, store closures on a daily basis, bank crisis', ministers caught with their pants down....sound familiar anyone? As the lyrics may be hard to pick out on this roughshod recording, here they are in their infancy, subject to change.

CALLING ALL THE PEOPLE
Here is the tale, its a closing down sale
Here is the tale, its a closing down sale
This is a live broadcast, Top class news
Its not a bleedin' podcast, but you still can't choose

It's all over the radio
You can't see it on a video
It's all over for us now

Calling all the people, Time to leave now
Calling all the people, It's time to leave now
The economy's and icon, Photographed in the nude
No astrology in Zion, I'm sorry if that's rude

It's all over the news
No prizes up for those who lose
It's all over for us now

The UK / It's not OK
Time sifting from the UK / Not OK
What's the UK / If it's not OK
Its all over for the UK
Andy 08/01/09

Brand new recording Exclusive

See? Told you I would post more often, although I have had NO responses or comments, ah well, I talk to my f###### self half my life anyway!

Anybloodyway, here is a link to an exclusive track, the first of the year, being made available due to a Paul Weller tribute album being shelved for the time being, so I can 'air' it. Hope you like it, fitting I think for the beginning of a year, it's called, As You Lean Into The Light.

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=W3J1MMJP

Enjoy, speak to myself soon

Andy

Silver Torch Video Added

And another thing...have just added the video for The Silver Torch from the solo album at the base of the blogs for your edification and listening pleasure.
Stay safe
Andy

Two Thousand & Nein

And so another year begins after another ends and what can we say? Same old same old I guess? As I sit here late into 1st Jan listening to the endlessly brilliant Wilco at Tanglewood I guess I'm a sucker for the old 'new year, new opportunites' lark. What can I say I'll be doing this year? I usually make all sorts of predictions about what I'll be doing in a new year with my various artistic avenues but I've decided to not do that this year as in recent years I've ended up doing nearly bugger all!

No, this year I'm just gonna tell you what might happen and hope that you're still along in the interested seats. I've had a few words of encouragement from familiar and unfamiliar sources of late so I shall hopefully this year be cranking up The Cheesemakers for maybe a final blow out, persuing my live acoustic shows with (or without) Dunf and will DEFINATELY be completing the solo album, in fact that is my primary project for January. I have decided to take each month on its own merit and do something each calender month! so that's the agenda for January. By the end of January I intend to have all the tracks completed and made ready.

For the solo album I will be breaking with tradition and will only be pressing up 'physical' copies for those that want one and shall be employing one of those Savefile type sites to 'host' the album along with lyrics and artwork where people can download for free. I mean, come on, let's face it, no-one's gonna pay for it are they? If people are paying 1p for a Radiohead album, I've got no bloody chance have I? Bloody Radiohead, you gotta love em.

So come early February, I shall be using the darling You Tubes to promote the solo album, some sketches already up there, in the form of short, self-made videos, hopefully building up into a full length version of the album on You Tubes a la Midlake. BTW, keep your eyes open for a new Midlake album this year, brilliant band

The Cheesemakers? Well, we were encouraged by our one and only live set this year (see previous post) and we will be wheeling out the machine for (maybe) some final shows this year. We're looking for helpful people to help us out with dates, venues, gear shifting etc because unlike most 12 year ols behemoths, we're still ridiculously crap are arranging and executing the simplest of gig type tasks. The 100 Club gig in London has been shelved until 2010, hope we're still around then. There are also building up a big batch of new songs as well so hopefully a return visit to Royston Vasey to record the follow up to Panic Now will be in the offing, but if it happens it will certainly be quicker and much more 'live' sounding as I plan to record all of the basic tracks in a live room and add very little after the stew and it will be shorter as well, maybe 11 tracks.

As for other things, I'm feeling particularly arty and enjoy maiking short films that will accompany the music. If anyones out there who makes short movies that can be matched to Cheesemakers or solo tunes please feel free to send em over, as long as you don't expect any money, cos I can't remember the last time I made any money from playing music! Internet is great isn't it? We used to make £200 a night playing at a shit-hole in South Shields and for years now we can't even get a free pint for playing. Ho hum.

This will sound vain, but I really want people to be interested in what i'm doing and follow this blog and listen to what I'm doing, it's natural for any artist to want that, and I'm not asking much really. To quote Uncle Jeff, 'it's just a dream he keeps having'. So if you're into this please tell someone else who might be also, cos thats' what social networking is all about, is it not?

And rather like the idiot of the class who will throw pens at the teacher the more he gets encouraged, I will post more often if people express an interest.

So, I will NOT be telling you what I'm doing this year, just in case I actually end up doing nothing as usual and people go, 'ha ha, what a surprise'.........or maybe I will tell you some day ;o)

So until next time hardy followers, 'our love is all of God's money, every one is a burning sun'

Talk to you soon,

Andy

'No matter how late the time, I shall keep on trying'