You are not a one-genre music fan....

... and this is not a one-genre music band. 

I don't think I know anyone who just listens to one genre of music. With the ease of digital, we can all take everything we love everywhere we go. Maybe you're 99% 70's rock with a little Jay-Z mixed in, maybe you're into death metal but have a weakness for Christina Aguelira. But more and more, I suspect we are all into amassing our own collection of whatever appeals to us, no matter what that looks or sounds like. Part-time goth, part-time club kid, part-time hippie, part-time gangstah.

I suspect artists will be changing as well. Sure, I don't expect much jazz from Slayer, but I do think there will be more artists like Madonna, Beyonce and Will-i-am who can hop from R&B to rock to dance to latin at the blink of an eye or the release of a new record. What is normal is a slow evolution over the span of an artist's career (like Green Day going from punk to lame or Radiohead going from indie to experimental indie). What is exciting is when an artist you love presents something in an unpredictable way.

As Cancer Killing Gemini progresses, I see the boundaries of genre becoming less and less important. While my love for electronic music will likely last forever, the need to lock every idea into that picture frame fades away. I especially see these constraints disappearing with the live band. As rehearsals continue, the palette continues to expand. I can see forays into garage rock, funk, punk/thrash, singer/songwriter, drum'n'bass and a multitude of others as things progress. All unified by the songs and the players, all directed at expanding your mainstream. Let's see what happens.

Sex and Rock'n'Roll (drugs optional)

     I started out with the intention of doing a fan participation video for the song "Should I Tell You That You're Pretty" but it became apparent quite early in the process that it was going to be an uphill battle gathering enough footage for a 3 minute music video. Speaking to a friend about the project, he mentioned he knew someone in the adult entertainment world who might be willing to participate. A few emails later and the process had begun, with Julie Simone as the star of the show. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndW89Rj9jGw

 

     If the intent was to be literal to the lyrics, this would have been a very male-chauvinistic video. It was quickly apparent that things were going to turn sideways as far as plot was concerned. In the back and forth of determining shots, the plot slowly morphed, the gender roles reversed and the video got quite a bit more interesting. 

     It interests and amazes me to see which clip or clips push the boundaries of different peoples' comfort zones. Some things that illicit a dramatic reaction from one get barely a second glance by another.

     Each video is an adventure unto itself: from concept, to filming, to editing, to final execution. Maybe the next one will have puppets or puppies in it, but for now, here's the naughty, sexy video for "Should I Tell You That You're Pretty" by Cancer Killing Gemini.

http://www.cancerkillinggemini.com

Anarchy Club at Harper's Ferry, Zug Zug from the past

So I went to see Anarchy Club at Harper's Ferry this week. When I got home, I opened a copy of The Noise - a local rock magazine. They had a "20 years ago today" section and on the cover, 20 years ago, was Zug Zug (a previous project of Anarchy Club frontman Keith Smith). Keep it up, Keith. Your voice sounds as good today as it did at Bunratty's in 1990.

When Starting Cancer Killing Gemini, I wasn't sure if I wanted to be the singer / front person. I talked with Joe Goretti in NY about maybe collaborating with singer Kelli Scarr and creating kittymonkey 2.0, a more downtempo, female fronted endeavor. But as I started to write, I knew CKG was going to be more aggressive. The only person I could envision taking the spotlight (if I wasn't going to step up) was Keith. A quick look online turned up Anarchy Club, Keith's latest project, and whaddayaknow, he's already doing industrial music! But I never made the call; it became more and more apparent that it was time for me to return to the mic.

My very short list of truly great bands from Boston:

-Come

-The Pixies (if you need a link, there's something wrong with you)

-Zug Zug 

There was a magic to Zug Zug... Keith's instantly-recognizable throaty vocals, Dan's ridiculous virtuoso soloing / noodling, Drew, John and Buzz holding it all down with heavy, grinding modern rock. The songs were great, the shows were great, it was a great moment in rock history. 

Back to the present, and Anarchy Club. They have 3 albums out now, so a 45-minute show is filled with the high points of those 3 records. The band is solid and confident. The songs are focused and well crafted. While their earlier recordings were more industrial / electronic, the latest release is straight-ahead metal / hard rock. Live, Keith's charisma shines as bright as it always has. Adam and company hold their own. If you like loud guitars, go see this band. They will show you how it's done.

Anarchy Club at Harper's Ferry

LET THERE BE ROCK: Cancer Killing Gemini-style

Well, after finding the bottom of craigslist, social networking, old-school networking and the Rock'n'Roll social at the Model Cafe, I'm proud to announce the formation of the Cancer Killing Gemini live band:

Eric Michael Cohen - vocals, cat-herding 

Maxwell Butler - keys, short-wave radio

Andrew Padua - bass, subterranean cave-creation

"Crazy Eddie" Nowik - guitars, endless conversation

Frank Hegyi - drums, social deviance

 There's a ton of talent in this bunch. I'll be proud to be knocked off the stage by any of these guys.

 Thanks to Des and Jeff from the Bentmen hookup, Joel for the Daddy's connection.

More info coming soon,

Eric

the fever returns

So the hunt for musicians to fill out the Cancer Killing Gemini live lineup has begun and already I feel the excitement of playing live again. 

For those of you not in the music business, know that if you play original music, the following is usually true:

-the pay sucks

-the hours suck

-the conditions suck

Playing dirty clubs at midnight for $100 (split 5 ways), then loading gear up a flight of stairs at 3am - not the glamorous life they show you on tv. So why do we do it?

Because we can't not do it. 

Playing live is like the last play of a football game - stretched out to a hour...like watching a child walk across an icy sidewalk in slow motion...like peering over the edge of a canyon without a railing. 

With a project like Cancer Killing Gemini, there are definitely some challenges to play live. The electronics force a different mentality that just guitar-bass-drums. Avoiding "trainwrecks" where the electronics lose sync with the acoustic instruments (drums, guitar, bass) is of supreme importance. I saw a White Zombie performance on an MTV music awards show where the drummer was playing 2 beats ahead of everyone else. It was hard to watch, like seeing a baby seal clubbed to death. They eventually got back in sync, but I'll bet you it was one of the worst night's of Rob Zombie's life. 

In kittymonkey (my last project), there were some backing tracks that augmented the live instruments. This is fairly standard practice these days - it's essentially like playing along to a cd. But this time, with CKG, I want to "go organic with the electrics"  - where all the tracks are played live by the musicians on stage. Doing this with pulsating electronic sounds requires that the instruments "speak to each other" so that the timing of the pulses stays rhythmic and musical. 

But once the logistics of the electronics are figured out, the fun begins.

Bring it on.


 

your job sucks and you want to be in a rock band

Alright folks. I know. You're tired of pumping gas, or making copies, or handling other people's money, or working for "the man", or being "the man", or using your ass to make sure the couch doesn't run away. We both know you'd rather play rock'n'roll.

It's time to be in Cancer Killing Gemini live.

Looking for bass, guitar and keys. Can you play guitar and keys? You're my hero.Can you play guitar and keys and sing backing vocals? I'll get you a hooker and a nice ribeye.

Seriously, it's time to take this show on the road, literally. Looking for folks who can take time off and tour a few times a year / or take long weekends.

Do you know anyone who fits this description..... do you fit this description? Male / female, black / white / brown / yellow / green , gay / straight, it's all good. Just no hard drugs.

Sweet. Let's do this.

Eric
Cancer Killing Gemini

Want to be in the next CKG music video?

Want to be in a CKG music video?

Here are the details:
The song is called "Should I Tell You That You're Pretty". It's Cancer Killing Gemini's "one-night-stand anthem". You can download the mp3 for free from the widget below (press options) or from the Cancer Killing Gemini website: http://www.cancerkillinggemini.com 
 
 
album on iTunes, Amazon


To be in the video:

You can:
lip sync a few lyrics
act out a line in the song
react to a line in the song
dance or freak out (alone or with friends)

You cannot:
get naked
do anything illegal

Specific footage needed:girl - looking bashful
girl - looking naughty
girl - sobbing
girl - holding plate of breakfast food, smiling
girl - holding plate of breakfast food, sad or crying
girl - pulling strap off of dress, taking off sweater, unbuttoning jeans (no nudity!)
guy - looks at cellphone, ignores
guy - answers cell phone, doesn't recognize caller
guy - looking charming
guy - looking creepy
girl or guy - getting ready to go out
girl or guy - with bedhead
girls or guys - dancing at club

Guidelines:
no videos of babies or pets
the sound will not be used, so it's all about the visuals
"YouTube" / iPhone quality is fine (videos don't need to be HD quality)
NOT ALL VIDEOS WILL BE USED
Deadline is October 31st, 2010

Send videos and any questions to CKGPrettyVideo@gmail.com

Can't wait to see your clip!

Eric
Cancer Killing Gemini

---Lyrics---
my little princess
how'd you get so sweet
you're looking lost girl
why don't you come with me
hold out to me now
you just found everything
don't worry dear now
you'll just have to trust me

get down on the floor
if you'd like to feel my hips hit yours
do you want to bend your back with me
can you push hard enough to hurt me
you think you're strong enough to saddle me
you think you'll get the chance to straddle me
should I tell you that you're pretty
would it be best if no one knows
now did you ever wonder who you'd be
without your clothes

my little princess
why don't you get some sleep
'cause in the morning
you won't have to cook for me
how'd you get this number
what was your name again
what gave the idea
that I would be your boyfriend
'cause you're not my girlfriend

Engineering a "Trainwreck" (with a little help from my friends)

When the recording of "It only hurts when we breathe" was nearly complete, I sent a few of the mixes to some friends and fellow musicians for feedback. "Trainwreck", a straightforward rock song, had existed for a while in different forms but this was the first time it was recorded, other than on a 1983-era boom box in a rehearsal space. I sent it off to my friend Jason, whose taste in music has always been ahead of the curve.

His comment was..."cool tune - can you make it more distorted?"

"In what way?" I asked.

"Like this..." and he sent me a link to a song: "Ibitsu" by Boris

So I listened to the song.

"Oh.... you mean make is sound like it was recorded live on a 1983-era boom box?"

"Exactly" Jason replied.

Here's the result.... ("boom box" on the choruses)

(Just in case the widget didn't load, check it out here)

10 songs you can't live without?

If your iPod only held 10 songs, what would you fill it with? 10 songs you wouldn't get sick of... Ever. When you listen in shuffle mode, what songs do you never skip? I thought I'd post a few in the order they entered my mind....

Deftones - "Change"

No Doubt - "Hella Good"

Nine Inch Nails - "Wish"

The Pixies - "Where Is My Mind"

The Jesus Lizard - "Zachariah"

Fiona Apple - "Fast As You Can"

Come - "Brand New Vein"

Veruca Salt - "25"

Silversun Pickups - "Well Thought Out Twinkles"

Sneaker Pimps - "6 Underground"

Alright... stopping at 10. What's your list?

how [the] Jesus [Lizard] saved my [musical] life

I'm not much for organized religion. Enough said about that.

For those not in the know, The Jesus Lizard is a band formed in the late 80's. There are heavier bands out there in a number of genres, but there may not be or have ever been a scarier band than The Jesus Lizard. Their songs aren't great. The singer is awful, most of the time. But when they lock into a groove, it will crush you, preform oral sex on you, kick you in the head, then get you in trouble with your boss. The riffs are absolutely undeniable. Seeing them live will set the bar for all other live shows for the rest of your life. What these guys can do with one bass, one guitar, one drumkit and one microphone is terrifying.

So as I may or may not have mentioned, I hit musical overload 7 or 8 years ago and quit cold turkey. It just wasn't fun anymore. Since the pay is terrible, the hours are terrible, the chance of success is very low, you need to love music to keep doing it. I hit a point where it wasn't fun anymore. Without the fun, there was no reason continue. All the equipment went into the attic and I didn't touch a guitar or keyboard for years. And despite the lack of music, I was quite happy. 

For the first time in my life, I truly became a music consumer. I bought cd's of many of the bands I had been listening to on the radio for years. I replaced music long gone missing (where'd my vinyl and cassettes wander off to?): the Pixies, Faith No More, Fleetwood Mac.... all kinds of stuff. And of course, The Jesus Lizard.

The singer for The Jesus Lizard... David Yow. There are moments of brilliance, but they are surrounded by unintelligible, out of tune, poorly written, self-indulgent slobber. But when those brilliant moments do occur, they are spectacular (check out "Zachariah" - the most beautiful ugly song you'll ever hear).  He finds notes that don't exactly fit, and barely, barely hits them. For the most part, I think I'd have preferred another singer for this band, but since it's not my choice, I'll rather listen to Yow than skip the band because of him.

Yow aside, the guitar and especially the bass and drums are what have always drawn me to this band. Their use of the space between the notes makes the notes huge, powerful, sludgy... the dissonance of the guitar gives the bass room to crawl; their use of rhythm is unsurpassed. Think about what the band that could destroy Rage Against The Machine would sound like. Monsters live in the basslines, and the guitars have learned to scream. And every hit of the drums has reason.

Alright, so you get the picture. When a friend called and said they were coming to town in Nov (2009), I knew I needed to go. And as soon as the show started, I knew I needed to play and write again. 

Thanks Jesus Lizard, I owe you one.

live music - cream of the crop

So this past week was a good one for live music in Boston - I saw Hole (yes, the Hole with Courtney in it), Silversun Pickups, Nada Surf, Foxy Shazam, Metric, Against Me, Matt & Kim, Gogol Bordello and Mean Creek. The thing that struck me was how some of the performers, not necessarily the bands, could leave such a lasting impression. 

I'll give a Steven Colbert-style "tip of the hat" to the keyboard player from Foxy Shazam - a crazy-eyed, crazy-bearded madman who was all over the place - standing on his keyboard, jumping up and down on it - all in all a fantastic showman. Shame that the singer might be the worst frontman I've ever seen (you can quote me on that). 

Another "tip" to the drummer in Silversun Pickups. I could watch this guy all day. He set a crash cymbal up at a height a good 3 feet above the rest of the kit, and seeing him hit it was like watching a backwards softball pitcher holding a drumstick. Tons of energy - this guy does more with a snare drum than many can do with the whole kit.

Gogol Bordello... played an "acoustic" set which meant guitar, accordion, violin, percussion and vocals. I can't say I like the music, but it was a great performance. To see a gypsy / polka / whatever band ignite a crowd of altrockers.... nice job. Most of the credit has to go to the singer / guitarist - straight out of a 70's porno - this dude hit the ground running and never looked back. I doubt I'll ever but a record of theirs, but I might catch another show.

Courtney Love.... I saw Hole years ago when she was on drugs. It was awesome. This time, she seemed, clear and focused......and well... by comparison... boring. Courtney: please pretend you're on drugs even if you aren't. I miss the crazy. Oh, and P.S.: your band is boring, and I think they're scared of you.

Well, back to the studio to work on some new tracks....

music promotion in an age of digital apathy, part 1

It's interesting seeing the difference in the way music moves on the web since 2000. It used to be that an artist could put up a website, get listed on a few music sites (like mp3.com and cdbaby) and fans of the artist's genre would simply find them and buy cds (yeah, the things that crackle in the microwave). The number of fans (or friends) was dramatically lower, but the intensity of those fans was much higher - as a music listener it was cool to find a new artist with a great record - it was activity on the part of the listener that created the initial contact, that sparked the new musical relationship.

Enter 2010, when the search of a genre like "rock" brings up hundreds of thousands of artists. As a fan, what do you do if you're looking for new music? (Seriously, music fans, what do you do? lol) Sites like last.fm and Pandora offer a good option by playing song that they see as similar to an artist you already like, but sometimes the suggestions are way off. You can wander around MySpace or facebook, but it's easy to get bored trying to sift through all the content looking for something you like. 

From the perspective of the artist, the challenge is to rise above the din. How do I get you to check out my music video instead of the 15 other videos your friends posted on facebook today (of babies or sports bloopers or Lady Gaga)? Access to everything sometimes turns into interest in nothing. What I want (as an artist) is a small piece of your time, a chance to spark interest with the eventual goal of selling a song or an album. Leaning how to get you to spend your online time with me instead of Bejewelled is the question....

But the upside is the potential, the scope of contact, the number of ways an artist can be in contact with fans and the public. The technology that makes us invisible can also make us famous. More on that coming soon....

Army of 1

No, not the military... There's some definite benefits to writing and recording as a solo artist; no one ever skips band practice, no ego battles... It's very productive to be able to switch and add instruments like pieces in a puzzle. The ability to record as I write has been an amazing experience and it's something that's available to anyone with a computer and a few instruments. The...... ok, a little aside here.... I'm watching current tv as I write this and they're showing a wrestling match between a guy dressed as a can of chicken noodle soup and a guy dressed as a plantain and they're kicking the piss out of each other....

Anyway..... One of the concepts behind Cancer Killing Gemini is to let the music dictate the instrumentation. In a traditional rock band, there is a finite and specific lineup which can cause the arrangement to stagnate, whereas a more producer-driven approach leaves the doors open to anything. The two sides of CKG (hard rock and downtempo) live side by side and can sometimes collide, without consequences. As I continue to write the next record, I see the two sides (the Cancer and the Gemini) becoming more separate and defined, for better or for worse. It will be interesting to see how it fits together in the end.

"Christcontrol" - the beginning

So a while ago, after the Battershell tour ended, I bought a pc, got some drum loops from a producer friend of mine, and set out to see what would happen if I tried to make some industrial music of my own. I had been listening to Ministry, Big Black (one of producer Steve Albini's early projects), Sisters of Mercy, Nine Inch Nails, Filter.... American guitar-driven music with drum machines and resonant synths. 

"Christcontrol" was originally called "bubble" before the lyrics manifested - and the song was easily 5 or 6 minutes long. Back then, the computer audio software was 16 bit and my converters were pretty cheap, so all the guitars and vocals sounded murky yet brittle, but it was better than cassette 4-tracks so onward and upward. The song lacked focus but I knew there was a kernel of something good. Almost no one heard it... it wasn't time yet for it to surface. 

I met Heidi and kittymonkey began, so "Christcontrol" went on a shelf for a while. But it was always in the back of my mind, something that deserved to see the light of day when the time was right....



album on iTunes, Amazon

From the beginning....

Hey CKG fans,

I'm gonna try to use this space to document the process, background and history of Cancer Killing Gemini, as well as the songs and videos. Feel free to comment if you have something to say, but please no adds or banners.

Thanks,
Eric

"could be the soundtrack for a hurricane out at sea"

from MusikReviews.com:

The debut album from Cancer Killing Gemini is equal parts industrial wall of sound with the trade make bass guitar driven beat and melodic ease that could be the soundtrack for a hurricane out at sea. First though we need to get the comparisons to NIN out of the way. Like Trent Reznor, Cancer Killing Gemini’s debut album It only hurts when we breathe is the brain child of one man, Eric Michael Cohen. And yes, there are some shared industrial styles that tie the two together but, that’s right about where the comparison ends as far as I’m concerned.

CKG blends hooks strong enough to land a whale with music that is ready to be played on commercial radio right now. “Christcontrol”, the opening song, is a perfect example of blending the industrial strength wall of sound with a great hook that gets stuck in you like forgotten medical tools from a major operation.

Cancer Killing Gemini’s biggest victory on the album and what makes it stand out from others in this genre is the surprising use of the B3 style organ on songs like “Century”. The song sets itself apart from others on the album not only because of the stellar music but also because the lyrics are much stronger here than in other spots on the album which may be the only downside if there is one.

Lyrically speaking, Mr. Cohen seems to shine brightest on the down tempo like the aforementioned “Century” and the equally impressive “Umbilical” and “Butterfly”. He uses his voice wisely in blending it with the music with neither overpowering the other like evenly matched boxers.

Cancer Killing Gemini’s debut It only hurts when we breathe is a positive sign of things to come from this Bostonian.

Hot Tracks: Christcontol, Century. Umbilical

Doug Morrissey- Muzikreviews.com Contributor

May 13, 2010
MusikReviews.com