so many shows and not a lot of blogging

so apologies for the lack of communication as of late... we've been spending a lot of time on the road and a lot of time locked away in a rehearsal room writing and rehearsing new material.  its nice to be back in texas for a bit... its quite hot here as the summer has crept in upon us a bit early this year.  we've been touring all across our great state for the past two months... spending a few precious days at home locked away in our studio in between mini tour bursts.  admittedly its nice to get out for a few days, then come home and sleep in your own but... BUT to be honest we are really beginning to miss the elongated road travel... there is something so wonderful about getting out, getting in a groove of momentum... the machine (musically and mechanically) just seems to flow so well after a few weeks.  i miss that.  but again, i can't complain that much... good austin texas style mexican food and sleeping in my own bed 2 nights a week rather than sleeping in a row of the van or in a dingy hotel room is pretty boss.  and yes... i did just use the term 'boss,' ... it among several other forgotten words are creeping their way back in to my formal and informal dialogue... im trying to bring em back!

so we've had some amazing shows, have met some amazing people and have seen many miles of this great state of texas the last few months.  after sxsw (which it appears was my last blog entry), we just started pounding the highways here and have hit every city you can imagine and everyone that you probably can't... the most remote and interesting thus far had to have been Tomball Texas... where we played an amazingly enjoyable show at 'Garys Spot' with our good friends Mothers Anthem.  This was an establishment where the owner (kindly and graciously) per our request removed what could only be described as a stripper pole from the center of the stage.  Kirk from Mothers Anthem and I both agreed that it would be a far better situation if the pole was removed as we mutually felt that potential bodily harm would come to he and I if the pole remained.  Gary (the club owner) was very kind and minutes after our request for the poles removal he had a staffer on stage with a tool kit removing the pole... but not before Kirk and I took pictures with the pole... we simply couldn't resist.  Anyway... it turned out to be a fantastic show... amazing crowd, amazing energy.

the largest 2 shows that we have done in the past few months both took place in Austin TX our hometown and homebase... one opening for the band FILTER at a sold out show at Emo's Outdoors... a stage that we had suprisingly never played in all of our time in Austin.  The guys in FILTER could not have been any kinder to us and could not have put on a better show themselves... i think it was their first live performance in like 6 years... and they slayed it.  We did out show in front of a hometown audience that was full of many folks that had never seen us live before, which is always a frightening thing... but we just did our show the way we do it... sweaty, loud and full of rock fists (a now Sounds Under Radio trademarked stage move), and the audience was fantastically responsive.  that night could not have gone any better.  

The next time we hit Austin was for a close to sold out headlining engagement at Stubbs... it had been 4 months since we played a headlining show in our hometown... far to long for our comfort and wanting, but it just happened to work out that way with our touring scheduel for the past 1/4 year.  Anyway... the night went smashingly and was a huge booste of morale and energy for us... so thanks to all the folks that came to that show... it meant a great deal to us, you really have no idea.  

so... forthcoming the rest of the summer... a few festivals, lots of touring in the southwest and our record 'Cinematica' WILL be coming out toward the end of the summer... its been a long time coming and it will soon see the light of day!!!!  

final thoughts:

go buy the new Death Cab for Cutie record 'Narrow Stairs' its brilliant and in constant repeat in the Sounds Under Radio van cd player

check out the new band 'The .dB Initiative' ... a new local austin outfit... ambient and spacey rock maddness.

the new Indiana Jones movie... i cant wait to see it.  

alright... hope to see you'all soon at a show.

LAng