win a free consultation as a special guest on the muzic biz

http://michaelbrandvold.com/blog/2012/01/win-a-free-consultation-as-a-special-guest-on-the-music-biz-weekly-podcast/

I want to see the porn star mangled in the car crash....

Free song for January is "Horror Movie Song" (DOWNLOAD).
JAN12 - Horror Movie Song by Cancer Killing Gemini

I know, December comes before January. We were all set to release the free song for December but someone in the media caught wind of it and an opportunity to do an exclusive release presented itself. So December's song will premiere in early January and January's song is here for you now in late December. Still one song a month, even if we mess up the order.

"Horror Movie Song" is like "Scary Movie" set to music. It's part Scooby Doo, part Dawn of the Dead / Sean of the Dead. Frank, Max, Chuck and Andrew spread a thick layer of musical goo on this one. Enjoy.

NEXT SHOW:3/2/12  a Friday Night at TT The Bear's Place in Central Square Cambridge w/ Full Body Anchor and Grygiel. This one will benefit the Boston Alliance of Gay and Lesbian Youth, so find yourself a party hat or dress and come out (or come out). facebook event

Thank you to everyone who attended and helped out with Black & White Animal Night at Radio. We raised close to $1400 for kitty connection, gave away some great prizes and really enjoyed playing. If you are in need of a pet, check them out at http://ww.kittyconnection.net

Lyrics:
Porn star, dumb guy 
Full moon climbs through a starless sky 
Black car, brake lights 
The air in this town doesn't feel quite right 
Old man, with just one eye 
That's no reason not to trust a guy 
Cliche, right here 
"We should split up" 
That's a great idea 

Now I want to see some vampires 
I want to see the girl chased 
Then I want to see a werewolf 
I want to see their car crash 
I wanna see the doll child 
Crawling up the staircase 
I want to see the porn star 
Mangled in the car crash 

Farm house, porch light 
Let's go inside and stay for the night 
Come see what I found 
"Is it a big ancient book where the words move around?" 
Just then the old man 
Flailing around with a knife in his hand 
Outside, best part 
Never would've guessed that the car wouldn't start 

Is the old man gonna get me 
I thought we killed him yesterday 
Now he's some kind of zombie 
If he bites me 
I will try to eat your brains 
Just shoot me in the head we'll be okay 
In the sequel I'm undead

We record and release one new song a month. The latest two are free to download, so stay in touch and get all our new music for free by jumping on mailing list

Eric Michael Cohen
Cancer Killing Gemini
http://www.cancerkillinggemini.com
@CancerKillingG

If I don't stand for something, the nothing will corrupt me

Free song for November is "Woe" (DOWNLOAD).



Usually, my writing process starts with vocal melody over a single note bass line. This time, the Rhodes (electric piano) took the melody in the verse and pre-chorus. The song just didn't want vocals there. The chorus comes along and there was one simple message to convey:

If I don't stand for something
The nothing will corrupt me
Each instance gets sad and lonely
So woe is me

NEXT SHOW:
12/11/11 "Black & White Animal Night" @ Radio in Somervile, MA w/ I, Pistol and Sugar Snow to benefit animal rescue organization Kitty Connection. Great music for a great cause, plus some serious raffle prizes

Here is the facebook event page

We record and release one new song a month. The latest two are free to download, so stay in touch and get all our new music for free. facebook

Next month, we've got something as little different in store for you.....

Eric Michael Cohen
Cancer Killing Gemini
http://www.cancerkillinggemini.com
@CancerKillingG

Rock 4 Animals Animals 4 Rock.

So if you haven't heard already, Cancer Killing Gemini's next show is an animal benefit called Black & White Animal Night. We're teaming up with I, Pistol and Sugar Snow to raise money for a non-profit animal rescue organization called Kitty Connection from Medford, MA. The show is at Radio (379 Somerville Ave) in Union Sq Somerville.

The financial bottom has pretty much fallen out of the music industry in recent years. Instead of fighting it, we're going with the flow, and even paddling a little bit. The cover at the door will go to the charity. The raffle will go the charity. Money from sponsors will go to the charity. We'll show up and play to a room of (hopefully) drunk, happy animal lovers.


I want to thank Stoops from I,Pistol and Simone from Sugar Snow for being on the bill with us and also for their time and effort already in transforming this from a show to an event. Peter Wilner of PMW Creative Arts has also been of great assistance, as have the extremely enthusiastic volunteers from Kitty Connection. 


The raffle is really shaping up to be something special. Here are some of the prizes I can announce so far: 

• An Epiphone SG guitar autographed by Johnny Winter donated by MusicGoRound in Natick
• $50 gift certificate to Foundry on Elm
• Free oil change from Auto Plus in Somerville
• 3 personal training sessions + Fit Assessment (worth $454) from Fitness Together
• 4 small group sessions + Fit Assessment (worth $226) from Fitness Together
• $50 gift certificate from The Cheescake Factory
• $100 gift certificate from McCracken, Cooper & Petrella, P.C. for financial planning or a tax return
• 4 sessions from YourRunningBuddy.com
• 5 Custom music and animal related T'shirts from AudioCotton.com
• A gift certificate from AudioCotton.com for custom T's of your own design (1 design, 4 shirts)

I'd also like to thank some folks helping out behind the scenes:

     Geoff Chase Recording for multi-tracking the event live to ProTools (if you're in a band you'll know what that means)

     Rob Vassegh from CheapThrillsBoston for filming the event for SCAT

     Dave Clark (daveclarkrocks [at] gmail [dot] com) and Penny Korff for their graphics expertise

     Ashley Willard and the staff at Radio (could't do it without you)

Got something you can donate to the raffle?

Want to adopt a rescued cat or dog?

Need tickets?

Everything is channeling through the facebook event page. 

Thanks everyone. Back to the rock.

-Eric

     

     

You were a wild ride and I'm glad I got off

Free song for September is "Carousel" (DOWNLOAD)

OCT - Carousel by Cancer Killing Gemini


Frank's (drums) love of salsa and Latin percussion continues to influence our sound. We went all out in the recording process (timbales, congas, shakers, cowbells, tambourines etc) then scaled it back a bit. Max (keys) created some custom patches on the Micron for the soaring textures under the main keyboard riffs. Also, listen for the subtle Rhodes in the chorus under all the guitars. We did guitars (Chuck) through this cool little amp about the size of a pack of cigarettes plugged into a few different speaker cabinets. Andrew (bass) fills in the bottom with his trademark low end sludge.

Lyrics:
You're no good for me
But I'm falling
When your carnival comes 'round
At first the ecstasy
Envelopes me
You spin me up then you spit me out
The way you're treating me
Is defeating me
I give up when you make that sound
'Cause there's so much appeal
To your ferris wheel
Until it lays me on the ground


You say you're good for me
I'm not falling
Now the amusement's worn me out
The second ride ain't free
So get off me
Or put the bridle in your mouth
Are you having fun
With all your damage done
Time to find another mount
As you're set so explode
I'll crawl in my hole
Next time your circus tears through my town

In my own living hell
On your carousel
You leared to put me on my knees
On the telephone
You're not coming home
I'll drive myself alone in pieces

The day the glitter fell
From your carousel
You learned to beg enough to please
On the telephone
Don't want you coming home
I'll drive myself alone in peace

SHOWS:
12/11/11 "Black & White Animal Night" @ Radio in Somervile, MA w/ I, Pistol and Sugar Snow

We record and release one new song a month. The latest two are free to download, so stay in touch and get all our new music for free. facebook

Eric Michael Cohen
Cancer Killing Gemini
http://www.cancerkillinggemini.com
@CancerKillingG

Only if I miss you first.... (weep)

Free song for September is "University" (DOWNLOAD)
SEP - University by Cancer Killing Gemini


Last month was pretty heavy, releasing "World Trade" about 9/11. No politics this month. 

"University" is a strong departure from the typical "industrial-ish" CKG fare. No electronics on this track. Rhodes, Hammond, guitar, bass, drums and vocals.

If you are headed off to school without your girlfriend / boyfriend, this might be a good theme song... as it ends in a burning pile of hurt feelings and broken promises. Get yourself some Ben and Jerry's and have a good cry.

Lyrics:

In the fall the change is on the way 
You hit the road in brand new clothes 
To learn something about everything 
You promise me you'll call me everyday 
From university 
University

November comes it's getting cold 
Your scent is gone from all my clothes 
A new excuse for not calling me 
Your minor in philosophy 
A brand new friend he's really great 
And you swear to me it's not a date 
You're not immersed in me 
From university

I hate when you're so logical 
You say between the tears 
This argument is impossible 
Don't scream at me 
All this jealousy 
Will destroy our chemistry

I reach out 
You freak out 
I think we'll 
Not end well

Thanks again to Chuck Pukmel for getting his hands dirty with me mixing this one

SHOWS: 

9/15 live in studio performance on http://unregularradio.com/

10/2 Precinct in Somerville, MA 9pm - tix available here.
This will likely be our ONLY BOSTON AREA FALL SHOW


We record and release one new song a month. The latest two are free to download, so stay in touch and get all our new music for free. facebook

Next month's free song: How about "Carousel"? Unless you want to hear about Max almost getting a girl pregnant...

Eric Michael Cohen
Cancer Killing Gemini
http://www.cancerkillinggemini.com
@CancerKillingG

"World Trade": writing music about 9/11 ten years later

Free song for August is "World Trade" (DOWNLOAD)


I had not really intended to write a song about the war on terror, but when I heard the news that we had killed Osama, what really sunk in was how much the world had changed as a result of 9/11. Airport scanners, the Patriot act, the Arab spring, Guantanamo Bay, unpaid wars in the Middle East, a rebirth of racism; the list goes on and on. How had this one act created such a deep, long lasting impact on our country and our planet?

AUG - World Trade by Cancer Killing Gemini

The news of Bin Laden's death, for me, brought back the images of the planes hitting the towers. The chorus lyrics of this song ("World Trade") came out days after I heard the news. I had intellectualized the events of that day and stored away the emotion for almost a decade.

The verses of the song were a different story. Eventually they would go through three versions as I found the message and the tone for what I wanted to say. The rest of the band (especially Frank) was a great sounding board as the song took shape. Everyone has some opinion, emotion or connection with the events of 9/11. Hearing input from the band (and later from others) helped me find the context for my experiences.

Engine Company 10

I visited Ground Zero after 9/11. Now it felt like time to go back. Back then it was a pile of rubble being loaded into dump trucks. The tone around the site was quiet and somber. There was a undeniable respect for what had transpired. But what I experienced this time was quite different. Hope. Progress. Pride. I didn't need a blueprint to see what was being created. There's the Memorial. There's the Freedom Tower. The walls and fences that obscured much of the view on my first visit couldn't hide the majesty that was underway. Everything was vertical now, with cranes bearing American flags dominating the sky.

construction at WTC August 2011

And people. Every age, every race. No hostility, no anti-anything signs, just people. Maybe America, at least around the WTC, was returning to its core values.
While in NYC, I visited with two friends I had not seen in a very long time. I asked about their experiences as New Yorkers during and after 9/11. I'm changing names but no other details of our conversations.

Amy worked for an investment firm in Tower 2 in 2001. At the beginning of September, she was on vacation in Europe. Her return ticket had her scheduled to be back in NY on Sunday the 9th. She would have been at work on Tuesday had she taken that flight, but her travel companion suggested they extend their vacation for a few more days and fly home on Wednesday the 12th. The flight on the 12th would be cancelled as flights across the world were disrupted in the aftermath. Amy eventually returned on the Sunday after 9/11. Of the thousands of employees of her company that were in the tower, all but 4 escaped. She knew and had worked with all 4. Returning to work, Amy described an environment of alienation. Her friends and coworkers avoided and ignored her. Having not been through the experience in the tower, she was an outsider.

Lynn was a musician who also did temp work. The week before 9/11, she was scheduled to temp in one of the towers, but over the weekend, a music gig materialized. She called a friend to cover and he went to work in her place for that week. He didn't make it out of the tower. Lynn still carries the guilt of "killing her friend" to this day. As soon as she started telling me about her experience, she was in tears. She can intellectualize that there is no fault in her actions but it doesn't do anything to make her feel better or to bring her friend back.

Lynn told me of an experience she had recently on a train. A tall dark-skinned man boarded in traditional Muslim clothing boarded the train and sat down near her. He put his backpack under the seat and sat quietly. She paid him little attention. But when, a few stops later, the man exited the train, leaving his backpack behind, Lynn immediately bolted off the train and ran as fast as she could. She knew which direction the train ran, and took off in a perpendicular direction so that the inevitable blast from the bomb she knew was in the backpack would not get her. After she was blocks away, she slowed down and started crying. Not because of fear, but because it was only at this moment that she realized the possibility that it was just a regular backpack. Her experience on 9/11 had scarred her in a way she was not aware of until that moment. Situational racism. There was no bomb.

Freedom Tower, roughly 50% complete, August 2011

After visiting the WTC, I went to see where the "proposed mosque" I had heard so much about about in the news was located. I remembered that it was north of the site, so I headed out in that direction. I asked a street vendor selling souvenirs where it was. "Warren St" he replied. I walked up to Warren St and asked someone working in a restaurant where the mosque site was. They didn't know. The people in the convenient store didn't know either. At a bar down the street, the bartender thought it was in "the old Burlington Coat Factory" building, but she didn't know where that was. I started walking back towards the WTC site. I stopped into another business. "It's near a bar called Dakota's, but I don't know what street that's on". Okay, more walking.  Then I came across the Christian Science Reading Room. They must know. Nope. Didn't even know what I was talking about, but they did have a computer and I was able to look it up on the internet. It was less than a block away. I went around the corner and there was Dakota's. I went in and asked the bartender where the mosque site was. He didn't know either. He asked his coworker who said "it's next door".

I left the bar and looked next door. No crowds. No banners. Just an old building in need of a paint job and some serious renovations. There was a police car parked at the curb. I knocked on the window and the officer rolled down the window. "Is this the 'proposed mosque' site?" I asked. Yes it was. "Is it always this quiet around here?" I asked. She said it was. Maybe there would be some yelling on the anniversary of 9/11, but for the most part New Yorkers just walked by.

not much happening at the mosque site

But the thing that was the most constant reminder of 9/11 is my cousin serving in the Marines, in both Iraq and Afghanistan. He has a young wife and young son. I am always impressed with his character, his conviction and his courage. Each time we get together, I hope for the news that his next assignment will be stateside: something mundane and safe. As long as the wars continue, there's no long term guarantee of that. Bin Laden's dead. It's time for him to be the amazing dad we all know he is.

"World Trade" will be a free download forever.

Lyrics:
You drop the towers

and then retreat

Our shock and awe will wreck the wrong country

Now we've both put on a big display

The Arab spring blooms anyway

Blue sky outside

Airplanes inside

In flames goodbye

World trade

To my cousin 

and your Marines

I want you safe far from the Middle East

While congress fights to see how long you stay

I think that you should see your son today

Throw some boots on the ground to confuse the outrage

Then to kill just one man we invade three countries

Call it terror or religion we all bleed the same way

Because all Muslims aren't Al Qaeda nor all Christians the KKK

Thanks again to Chuck Pukmel for some great mix consutation

SHOWS: 

9/15 live in studio performance on http://unregularradio.com/

10/2 Precinct in Somerville, MA 9pm - tix available here

We record and release one new song a month. The latest two are free to download, so stay in touch and get all our new music for free. facebook

Next month's free song: "University"


Eric Michael Cohen
Cancer Killing Gemini
http://www.cancerkillinggemini.com
@CancerKillingG

"Vaseline For The Vomit Queen"... what what?

Congas, organs, blazing guitars... and eating disorders. Free song for July is "Vaseline For The Vomit Queen".  (DOWNLOAD)

We've all got our problems. Mental problems. I don't know a single person who isn't tweaked in some way when you really start to dig in. Eating disorders are often a manifestation of something else, just like addictions, fetishes, etc. etc.. I realize in hindsight the lyrics may seem angry towards the Vomit Queen, but the song is more about realization than blame.

Sometimes I write songs phonetically in the beginning. This one started as "Kerosene Whore" then morphed into its current form.  Frank brought in a suitcase full of percussion toys and after some experimentation, we ended up with congas, triangles and magic egg shakers. Max unleashes the Hammond in the bridge while the drums clusterf*ck us all.  I don't think we can really call this one "industrial"; with each new track we're finding new ways to bend our genres.

  JUL - Vaseline For The Vomit Queen by Cancer Killing Gemini

SHOWS:

7/8 - Club Gallery - 150 Point St Providence, RI
benefit show w/ Era Nocturna
facebook event

7/28 - The Cantab Lounge - 738 Massachusetts Ave (Central Sq) Cambridge, MA
w/ might & Vostok 4
facebook event

8/6 - Tobacco Road - 355 West 41st Street  NY, NY

w/ Ex Machinae & Sektor 7
facebook event

8/11 - The Rosebud - 381 Summer St (Davis Sq) Somerville, MA
facebook event

I think you know I'm not to blame
There's still time to come clean
In your war with fat
You're on the losing team

The thing you think
Will make you thin
Goes in you mouth
Then comes out again

More vaseline for
The vomit queen
You're such a self-esteem whore
It won't let you see there's
No way this could be my fault

Does your disorder pretend
To give you what you want
That taste of life
You can't confront

Call in the diet police
No more food tonight
Your dress size won't decrease
Until you feel your throat get tight




















Cheers,

Eric

http://www.cancerkillinggemini.com

Time to reset the free music system, together

Independent artists (like us) have to cope with "the new world of free" that has taken over the music industry.
The value of music has become undefined, especially for smaller bands and artists.  Should we give away everything for free?  Should we give away nothing?  How do we do this?  I offer a suggestion, a way to slowly shift the expectations of music listeners.

Give away your new stuff, charge for your back catalog.  Simple as that.

Offer your fans your latest track or album for free but for a limited time.  If people think they can get your music forever, there's no sense of urgency.  They probably won't download anything because they can always do it later.   The best way for prospective fans to get interested in your music of for them to hear it again and again.  If it's on their iPod, you've got your foot in their door for future sales.

Here's what we're doing:

"Cancer Killing Gemini releases one new free song a month.... forever.  After 60 days, each song becomes back catalog and is no longer a free download.  Fans who stay in contact receive all our new material for free, forever.  As time passes, the back catalog grows.  Fans who join next year get the same deal, but since the catalog has grown, there is more material for purchase.  We're betting that fans who download free songs month after month will eventually buy older tracks and also tell their friends about a cool band that gives away new music every month.  We're taking a 'pay it forward' approach."

We have the luxury of recording as we go, but the system works as long as you are creating new music. Give away your album (or single) #2 but charge for album #1. When album #3 comes out, never give away album #2 again.

I'm all about free downloads, but there needs to be a system .  This is a way to continually reward your faithful fans with free stuff.  Hopefully, fans will return the favor with back catalog purchases, merch sales or concert tickets. If this actually catches on, maybe we can change the public's perception of the value of independent musicians.

Thanks for reading,

Eric
Cancer Killing Gemini
-distorting your mainstream-
http://www.cancerkillinggemini.com
Boston, MA

a minute and a half of roadkill music

So we're out with Andrew for dinner one night and he starts to describe how he found a dead coyote on the side of the road. He takes it home and then over the next few months buries it in the ground, digs it up, skins it, guts it and boils the bones in a pot on the kitchen stove. Had it been anyone other than Andrew, I might have lost my appetite, but his suave, clever style somehow made this acceptable dinner conversation. The images of this process stayed in my head. Later that week, "Taxidermy Song" started to take shape.

We left the electronics behind for this one. Back to straight-ahead rock. Guitar, bass, drums, vocals and of course, Max's dirty clav.

I hope you enjoy Cancer Killing Gemini's free song for June: "Taxidermy Song"

JUN - Taxidermy Song by Cancer Killing Gemini 

Found you by the side of the road

Your body still warm but your heart was cold
Not looking too good all that red white and goo
Gonna put my hands deep inside of you

Maybe you think it's wrong
Gonna mess with the flesh now that life is gone
Blow it off and just sing along
To the homemade taxidermy song

I think you once were a fox
Now you're in my garage in a cardboard box
Should I take off your skin and poke out your eyes
Since you're already dead I feel justified

Next month: "Vaseline for the Vomit Queen"

Shows:

-Saturday June 18th - Copperfield's (downstairs) 98 Brookline Ave Boston, MA
-Saturday July 2nd - Ground Zero Allenstown, NH - ALL AGES SHOW
-Friday July 8th - Club Gallery Providence, RI w/Era Nocturna
-Saturday August 6th - NYC w/ Ex Machinae

Just to recap on the free thing, we record and release one song a month for free, for ever. Stay in contact (the mailing list or facebook are good ways to do that) and all of our new music will be free to you.

60 days after release, the song will enter our back catalog and will no longer be free, but if you've downloaded it, no big deal, you already own it.

 

Cheers,

Eric

www.cancerkillinggemini.com 

p.s. - Thanks again to Chuck Pukmel for mix consultation

Time to go to the hospital dot mp3

Free song for May (download it here) - "Room Six".
If you like it, please share it. It's free for your friends too.

We're five months into recording and releasing a song a month. The recording process is streamlining a bit and the focus is naturally shifting to the parts and performances. I'm finding that the musical personalities of each of the members of Cancer Killing Gemini are really starting to shine.

"Room Six" breaks from CKG full-octane industrial electronica for a journey into a more acoustic, medically influenced arrangement. I hope you enjoy. Lyrics are below.    

MAY - Room Six by Cancer Killing Gemini

a few more tests it seams

this one will leave a scar

a trip to radiology

room six deliver

in six the cancer breeds

try not to give up

in six I'm listening

room six deliver

the end will possibly

be enough to break your heart

time to learn what faith can't bring

room six deliver

in six it's hard to breathe

try not to give up

in six I'm listening

room six deliver

Thanks again to Chuck Pukmel for mix consultation

Shows:

-Saturday May 28th - The Lucky Dog Music Hall 89 Green St., Worcester, MA

-live radio performance on WMFO Wed June 8th

-Saturday June 18th - Copperfield's (downstairs) 98 Brookline Ave Boston, MA

July - Cambridge, MA

August - NYC, and Somerville, MA

Next month: we may have to bring the rawk, roadkill-style. "Taxidermy Song"

Cheers,

Eric

www.cancerkillinggemini.com

Sex with cigarettes... You Let The Honey Out Of Me

Not sex and cigarettes....

This one's for all my addicts out there, past and present. Is this song cool? Maybe, if Frank says it is.

The recording process is starting to streamline a bit. Very happy with the results. Thick and dirty.

Free download for April: You Let The Honey Out Of Me
--
APR - You Let The Honey Out Of Me by Cancer Killing Gemini

If you enjoy the downloads, please share the music (facebook etc)!

One new free song a month…forever. That’s still the plan. Join the
mailing list to get monthly reminders with download links. You can
still grab a few others at http://www.cancerkillinggemini.com

Next month's tune: hmmmm. I'm thinking "Room Six".

Tomorrow: first Boston Area Show - early set time (8:30pm sharp)
 

April 15th @ The Cantab in Cambridge, MA
(with Angelspit, Gastrea and Streak)

Cheers,
Eric
Cancer Killing Gemini

info for recording geeks:

Frank / drums:
4 pc Yamaha Stage Custom kit
Overheads: M-Audio Pulsar II small diaphragm condensers
Toms: Sennheiser e609's
Snare Top: Audix i5
Snare Bottom: Shure SM57
Room: Studio Projects C1
Kick: MIDI trigger to Alesis DM4

Andrew / bass:
1972 Fender Jazz w/ Seymour Duncan vintage jazz pickups
Ross compressor pedal clone

vintage silverface Ampeg SVT

Chuck / guitars:

Gibson SG

Ibanez AMF 73

MXR fullbore metal pedal

recorded direct into Logic's amp modeler

Max / keys:

Rhodes Seventy Three Mark I
TAL Audio virtual synths (there free, go get 'em)

vintage silverface Ampeg SVT

Eric / vocals:
Studio Projects C1
Alactronics-modified Symetrix preamp
Presonus Smart Compressor
dbx 263x de-esser

Recorded, mixed and mastered in Logic Pro by Eric Michael Cohen

Thanks to Chuck Pukmel for mix consultation

Dance Music vs. Punk Rock

This one's kind of a monster...

Easily the most raw and energetic track so far, "The Needle Down" takes 3/4 electro-dance music and fires it straight into a 4/4 wall of distortion. Cancer Killing Gemini's "The Needle Down" free for March:

MAR - The Needle Down by Cancer Killing Gemini

Getting ready for the first CKG shows 
April 2nd @ The Jam Factory in Manchester NH 
April 15th @ The Cantab in Cambridge, MA

One new free song a month…forever. That’s still the plan. Join the mailing list to get monthly reminders with download links. You can still grab a few others at http://www.cancerkillinggemini.com

Next month's tune: "You Let The Honey Out Of Me".

Cheers,
Eric
Cancer Kiling Gemini

 

info for recording geeks:

  

Frank / drums: 

4 pc Yamaha Stage Custom kit

Overheads: M-Audio Pulsar II small diaphragm condensers

Toms: Sennheiser e609's

Snare Top: Audix i5

Snare Bottom: Shure SM57

Room: Studio Projects C1

Kick: MIDI trigger to Alesis DM4

Andrew / bass:

1972 Fender Jazz w/ Seymour Duncan vintage jazz pickups
Ross compressor pedal clone

vintage silverface Ampeg SVT

Chuck / guitars:

Fender Squier Telecaster

MXR fullbore metal pedal (yeah boy!)

recorded direct into Logic's amp modeler

Max / keys:

Rhodes Seventy Three Mark I

Alesis Micron

vintage silverface Ampeg SVT

Eric / vocals:

Studio Projects C1

Alactronics-modified Symetrix preamp

Presonus Smart Compressor

dbx 263x de-esser

  

Recorded, mixed and mastered in Logic Pro by Eric Michael Cohen

Thanks to Chuck Pukmel for mix consultation

Interview in X-Plosive Metal

XM: For starters let’s get our readers up to date on what the band has been doing so far this year.
Eric: The big news is we launched our distribution model. We're giving away all of our new music for free, forever. Every month, we record and release a new song as a free download. Fans who stay in contact via the mailing list or visiting the site will get every new track we release for free. After 60 days, the tracks go into back catalog and are no longer free, but it's no big deal since current fans have already downloaded them. New fans who join a year from now get the same deal – all our new music for free, with the option to purchase the catalog if they'd like. 

XM: Can you give me a brief history of the band and provide some background info for those of us who are unfamiliar with Cancer Killing Gemini.
Eric: The band started as a solo project but has since morphed into a live band; Eric Michael Cohen (me) on vocals, Frank Hegyi on drums, Max Butler on keys, Andrew Padua on bass and Chuck Pukmel on guitars. The sound is growing form its roots in electronica and industrial into something more organic, but keyboards still play a major role in the sound.

XM: What's the origin of the band name? Have you changed the band's name before?
Eric: The band name hasn't changed. It started as a lyric in the song “Christcontrol” as a reference to my (then) addiction to nicotine. I just assumed that if something else didn't get me first, I'd die of cancer.

XM: Your sound draws from a variety of styles, how would you describe Cancer Killing Gemini to someone that had never heard your music before?
Eric: We're trying to bring some fringe elements into the mainstream. So maybe that means a touch of Mutemath mixed with Nine Inch Nails, or our vision of a Portishead pop song. Nothing is off limits. I think of it as pop hiding in other genres – the songs are the focus – the genre is the delivery mechanism. The default will always be some version of industrial rock, but many other flavors will take part in the process.

XM: I absolutely love the idea behind releasing a free new song every month to distribute and increase your fan base. Who came up with that idea and how has it been working for you so far?
Eric: So far it's been great. Fans are excited. We're seeing more reposts than before and it's easy to engage new fans when there's something free to offer them. I came up with the idea after attending the Independent Music Conference 2010 in Northampton, MA. The old sales and delivery models just aren't working anymore, so I thought we'd try something new.

XM: How often do you write and record? Is it something you do on a constant basis or do you have a few songs already lined up for their monthly debut? How does that work?
Eric: The best part of this is that all the music is now hot off the presses. I have done demos of some of the future songs, but there is no secret stash of recorded material. In fact, the recording of the next free song “The Needle Down” was completed yesterday. I'm hoping to mix it this week and get it out by the middle of the month.
I usually email the guys a demo with scratch tracks of all the performances over drum machines. Then Frank (drums) completely rewrites the drum track and we build from there. Max, Andrew and Chuck put their spin on the keys, bass and guitars. While I can play guitar, bass and keys, these guys play circles around me, so the final tracks blow my scratch tracks out of the water.

XM: Do you all write the music together or is someone the "boss" when it comes to song writing?
Eric: I do the writing, then the rest of the band embellishes their individual parts.

XM: Who came up with the concept for the video ‘Should I tell you that you’re pretty’? What’s the story behind the video shoot?
Eric: The intent was to create a video that rode as close to the line of what is not allowed on YouTube as possible. Originally it was going to be a compilation of fan footage, but it became clear very early that getting the quality and quantity necessary for a decent video was unrealistic. I had a musician friend in NY who knew Julie Simone and he gave me her contact info. Julie and I passed some “plot” ideas back and forth and eventually she filmed some setup footage for the verses. All the really hardcore stuff is from her archives.

XM: How do you see Cancer Killing Gemini in the modern scene?
Eric: We're trying to live the new roadmap of independent music: write, record, release, tour.

XM: What is the band's ultimate goal, artistically speaking?
Eric: To quit our day jobs.

XM: What has been your biggest challenge as a band? Have you been able to overcome that challenge? If so, how?
Eric: The band has only been together for a matter of months now, so we're still in the honeymoon phase. I hope it lasts forever.

XM: What’s life like in Braintree, MA? Is it a good place to live? What goes on there of interest?
Eric: Braintree is a fairly generic suburb of Boston. Very little goes on here. The rest of the band lives in various parts of Boston. Boston is decent place to be a musician.

XM: What are some of the band members involved in when they are not playing music?
Eric: In no particular order.... music production and engineering, taxidermy, motorcycle restoration, high-end custom concrete work, a Rod Stewart tribute band, puppeteering, video production, web design, a bicycle moving company, gay sex, straight sex. 

XM: If you could have been involved in the recording, production or writing of any album which would it be and why?
Eric: Recording with Fiona Apple, production with Limp Bizkit, writing with The Jesus Lizard.

XM: On behalf of xplosivemetal.com I would like to thank you for taking a few moments to answer a few questions with us. Any last words?
Eric: Join the mailing list to download all our new music for free. Your support means more than your money.

“In Chocolate-Covered Misery” free for Valentine's Day

Maybe you love Valentine’s Day, maybe you don’t. Maybe you’ll love this song, maybe this song will love you.

FEB - In Chocolate-Covered Misery by Cancer Killing Gemini
To the CKG hard rock fans, don’t worry, the bone crushing will return in March.

“In Chocolate-Covered Misery” is the first recording featuring all members of Cancer Killing Gemini. Eric on vocals, Frank on drums, Andrew on bass, Max on Rhodes and Chuck on guitar.  For those not yet in the know – Eric started CKG as a studio project and it has since morphed into a live band.

Is this one down tempo, chill, alt-country, jazz, classic rock…? Can’t quite figure it out ourselves. Regardless, it’s free for the next 60 days.

One new free song a month…forever. That’s still the plan. Join the mailing list to get monthly reminders with download links. You can still download a few others and buy tickets for our next show (April 15th at the Cantab in Cambridge, MA) at http://www.cancerkillinggemini.com

Next month's tune is still undecided... "You Let The Honey Out Of Me" or "The Needle Down". Both are pretty rockin'.

Cheers,
Eric
Cancer Kiling Gemini

info for recording geeks:

drums: 

4 pc Yamaha Stage Custom kit

Overheads: M-Audio Pulsar II small diaphragm condensers

Toms: Sennheiser e609's

Snare Top: Audix i5

Snare Bottom: Shure SM57

Room: Studio Projects C1

Kick: MIDI trigger to Logic Pro Ultra Beat drum machine

bass:

1972 Fender Jazz w/ Seymour Duncan vintage jazz pickups
Ross compressor pedal clone

vintage silverface Ampeg SVT

guitars:

Fender Squier Telecaster

Parker Fly

recorded direct into Logic's amp modeler

keys:

Rhodes Seventy Three Mark I

vintage silverface Ampeg SVT

vocals:

Studio Projects C1

Alactronics-modified Symetrix preamp

Presonus Smart Compressor

dbx 263x de-esser

Recorded, mixed and mastered in Logic Pro

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