Strange contraptions

Last night we went on an evening walk through the old town. I kept seeing these strange things sticking out of the walls:

Under closer inspection, it turns out to have been designed to scrape the mud off your boots - you know, before the roads were paved and you'd get to someone's door with mud all over your shoes.

 Perhaps a sort of early version of the doormat...Here, a few more examples:

...quite the local oddity, indeed!

Thoughts on French food and politics

In France right now, where I will be for the next month. I'm slowly getting situated, and the jetlag is not too bad this time around. It was very hot until yesterday, and got a little cooler and overcast today. The food is amazing as expected...yesterday I had lunch in a nice organic, local produce only restaurant with my sister-in-law. Right in the middle of the town, facing an old church, and with a funny slogan:

(nourriture et vin non issus de la pensée unique)

Interesting to see a kind of politics I'm used to see in the Bay Area at work here too. Lots of flyers in the bathroom, with another quote, from Hippocrates (along the lines of 'let food be your medicine'). Meanwhile the police came slowly driving or  strolling by at least 3 times (we had a long lunch, but still...)- a lot of them everywhere it seems. I even saw soldiers with machine guns in the Montparnasse train station, standing guard at either side of the main stairs...


Meanwhile, what I've come to call the Deer Convention Vinyl Project had a glorious start! 
I need your help to make the dream come true, so please click this link: http://kck.st/cjWe5e to check it out, watch the video, pledge, and spread the word!

NEW ALBUM - The Deer Convention

Great news! the new album is finally ready to be released! it's about 40 minutes long, has 11 songs, they're all in order and mixed. Also, as you've guessed, it's named. I'm incredibly excited about the way it sounds, there's been some really fantastic collaborations going on during the recording process.

I'm planning a release for the Fall, and decided to fund it through Kickstarter, since I'd really like to make it available on vinyl - and that cost a little bit of money! The way Kickstarter works is a little like having the opportunity to preorder your copy of the album, or just the digital version if you so wish. For every amount pledged there is a corresponding reward, and I came up with some pretty special things for you (you could even be credited as executive producer, get an exclusive recording of the next, not-yet-named album - or have your own private concert!). So the best thing is for you to go and check out that link, find out more about the project and what the money will be for, read the little blurb, and watch the video. I'm pretty proud of that one too!

And please, SPREAD THE WORD! Every repost counts, as we have a deadline, and the more people know about this, the more likely we are to meet our goal. Thanks a million!

Bumblebee cover

Back in September I went to Mendocino for the Invisible Ocean Festival. The Mumlers were there and I rallied them to back me up on a few songs, it was so fun, rehearsing in the woods in the morning...John, JF and Felix played their brass arrangement on Wisdom of the Dove, Paolo played on a few songs and I got Will and John to sing back up vocals on Bumblebee. Back home John played around with Bumblebee and recorded it. He just now found it and I love to hear all the male harmonies, it reminds me of the Beach Boys. Click here for a newer version he did -complete with the 3rd verse!

(the original is on myspace, and I posted the quixotic first version of the cover on soundcloud.)

The American Summer...

has begun.

I went up to Nevada City last weekend to visit some friends and play at a little festival organized by Sasha and Chris, of Sasha and the Shamrock. Tall trees, fair weather and good music:  Citay, the Moore Brothers, Chelsea Wolfe, Tahiti Pehrson (who also  makes amazing paper art), and lots more, there were close to 20 bands in all, and a cute flatbed stage:

there it is

one half of the Moore Brothers. Notice the rad Nat Russell t-shirt.

I ended up playing inside upstairs towards the very end of the night and probably lulled all these tired ears to sleep.

Next week I'm heading to LA!

La bretagne en été

Three years ago I was in Brittany and the summer was miserable...rain every other day, we were cooped up inside and couldn't do anything most of the time. I'm going back this year and I'm hoping for better skies...in the meantime, this song came out of it and I just recorded it, so here it is. With a beautiful cello part by Jen Grady, awesome upright bass courtesy of Matt Montgomery, and engeneering and drums by Jason Quever. I'm very lucky, they make my song sing.

La bretagne en été by wingeddeer

And the result:

Here is the song I recorded in march. 'Society' by Jerry Hannan. I was asked to do it for a documentary...

Jason Quever on drums, guitar solo and recording board. 
Matt Montgomery on bass and piano.


Society by wingeddeer