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