This Machine Still Kills Fascists

2010-06-10T15:37:00.008-05:00

originally published at SAY WAM...

Say, What Is Music About?

Alright, I know this is being posted on Say What About Music, so if you can ignore the tremendously trite pun in the title, this article may have a chance at holding your interest. However, I'm not making any promises, because this is the internet after all…

So what the Hell is going on with music, and don't worry I'm not going spit out an excruciatingly long diatribe about the deteriorating state of the current music industry, and how everything you thought you knew about selling music is completely wrong, and how the major labels are picking on the little guy and ruining it for everyone, and why my personal opinion of the business is the only correct view, and everybody should bow down and worship me as their new buzzword spewing guru. When I say music, I mean exactly that, just music.

One evening during my daily commute courtesy of Metrotransit, a discarded newspaper sat next to me. Some dude in a GQ shirt stood in front of an expensive microphone on the cover. Apparently this particular dude won American Idol. I decided to take the article's word for it because I had no idea. I don't own a properly working television, and I am quite comfortable with that fact. The article had some pretty harsh things to say about the dude in question, and I blindly agreed because I think American Idol is an utterly inane dog and pony show designed to perpetuate corporate greed, but then I began to think. Why do I hate American Idol so much?

A lot of time goes into making American Idol. All of the singers, promoters, mixing engineers, session players, lighting technicians, and producers are hardworking and skilled at what they do, so how could that gigantic pool of talent create something so vapid? The answer may be in a words of a philosopher I somewhat despise named Immanuel Kant. "There are two things that don't have to mean anything, one is music and the other is laughter."

In the past century alone, music has evolved and changed into so many appreciated genres that the theory of a universal aesthetic has been thoroughly debunked. Proof of this is evident by the existence of the atonal era, avant-garde jazz, no-wave punk, and Kenny G. All of those examples are not exactly everyone's cup of tea, but they all have legions of listeners.

Now there is a perfectly good reason for this; music is split into two categories: art and entertainment. These two factions make up what I like to call the Personal Preference Venn Diagram. Each personal preference will vary.

Don't panic people, not all music is meant to have a deeper meaning, and believe me, most modern pop music doesn't, but that's not to say all pop music is devoid of artistic merit. With that on the table, not all music intended to be art is all that great either. To me, labels like art and entertainment are not measurements of quality; they are descriptions of intention and nothing more. I'm not saying that the categories are rigid or polar opposites, because that is simply not the truth. Art can be entertaining, and entertainment can be artful. There are no absolutes. Some music comments on human emotion or contains a sharp political statement, and some music just wants to make people dance. There is nothing wrong with any of it.

People need to stop caring about what other people think. Just because I loathe American Idol doesn't mean other people can't love it. If you don't dig the latest and greatest buzz band that all the indie snobs are drooling over, that's fine. If you want to belt Lady Gaga lyrics at the top of your lungs while driving, go for it. If all you want to do next weekend is listen to Sgt. Peppers in a room by yourself, be my guest, but most importantly, if you can't stand a certain song, don't listen to it. Find your song. Find what pulls your heartstrings and cherish it. Don't let anyone else tell you what to like because that, my friends, is what music is about.

Written by: Pat Dougherty for SayWAM

2010-05-28T13:15:00.011-05:00

love stories and picture shows is

finally here..

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Wow, I haven't updated this in a while, and I think it's awesome that people have sent me emails saying how much they missed my posting. Some of y'all have even purchased my first album Soliloquies in anticipation of the release of Love Stories and Picture Shows, and for those of you who did... yeah Soliloquies is little bit different than what I'm about to release with the Second-Hand Opera, but enjoyable none the less. If you like no-wave-punk-improv-jam-jazz.

The CD Release show forLove Stories is on Saturday May 29 at the Cedar Cultural Center. If you are not familiar with the room, it is one of my favorite venues in the country. It has some of the best acoustics I have ever heard, and it is completely run off of volunteer power. In fact, when I first moved North by Midwest, I volunteered at the Cedar for quite a bit.

We're also playing with two of my favorite artists, Bill Mike and Total Babe. Ever since I met Bill Mike he has been a mentor and an inspiration to me. I even met Clara from Total Babe through Bill Mike, so everything ties together perfectly with this album release.

I feel really lucky. Not many artists get to create an album completely on their terms. I got to make it with my favorite people in the world, and we did everything completely on our own. There were no compromises. I was able to choose my preferred musicians, artists, engineer, location, packaging, concept, and venue. The Second-Hand Opera is amazing!

The album is completely handmade on recycled material and will be available for hard copy and digital download at patdougherty.net and iTunes on Tuesday June 1. See you at the Cedar May 29, and come back June 1!

I'll post more blogs about how we made Love Stories and Picture Shows a little later. I can't thank you guys enough, I heart you all!

2010-01-26T20:03:00.013-06:00

i'm annoying...

Due to the current state of the music industry, I have to participate in social media, but that doesn't mean I can't have fun with it sometimes.

It's a well known fact of the internet that I have a Facebook. I use it mainly as my promotion whore because I can't figure out Twitter, and I don't mean I can't figure out Twitter in the 60 year old man sense, which would cause me to ask questions like, " What's a Kanye West?" or "What are you kids doing on the Twitter anyway?" I just haven't found a way to use it effectively.

Facebook is just as pointless as the rest of them, but it can also be the most enjoyable. Besides commenting "First!" on wall arguments that are already 15 posts long, I also do things like this...

If you like my music and want to be my friend, do not be afraid to add me. Just be aware I may pull geeky stunts like the one above.

Thanks for listening, I really do appreciate it!

2010-01-15T14:14:00.010-06:00

rip jay reatard...

Godspeed your crazy punk genius!

I wasn't fortunate enough to know Jay personally, but I've been a fan for quite sometime. With all the cheats and tricks the music industry plays on us, Jay Reatard was exactly what we needed... a great songwriter who didn't take kindly to nonsense.

I recently saw him in Chicago. Like most punk rockers he had the "fuck you" attitude nailed down, but few had his raw emotion and songwriting prowess to back it up. His live show was a blitzkrieg of noise and energy, and I loved every minute of it.

I'm not going to spout off cliches about how only the good die young and I'm certainly not going to speculate how he died, but I will say this... They just don't make 'em like that anymore.

We miss you Jay!

2009-12-02T18:01:00.006-06:00

radio noir heart's you...

Thanks for your support!

A million thanks to all of you who donated to Radio Noir. That break-in hit us hard, but we are amazingly close to getting our 24 hour stream back online.

Your donations allowed us to purchase better DJ software and some nice external hard drives for our library. This will allow us to play more music, more efficiently.

If you'd like to hear your band or some specific tunes on Radio Noir, email us at keepintouchrecords@gmail.com with a request.

We'll soon have a fundraiser to recoup our expenses and make Radio Noir even better. Don't worry it won't be sappy like the Jerry Lewis Telethon.

Keep listening. Keep donating, and once again I thank you from the bottom of my heart!

I promise this won't happen either. We aren't PBS...

2009-11-30T19:39:00.005-06:00

11.28.09: the saint paul eagle...

This gig was extremely last minute...

The opening act dropped out due to the holiday season, and my friend Stephen McClellan needed some help. I always enjoy helping out Stephen. He's a pretty awesome human being.

He asked if I could play a solo acoustic set, which I rarely do, so I didn't. I had Dave Afdahl play with me.

It was a DEMO gig, which is a great organization for young bands. It landed me my first gig in the Cities four years ago. I haven't played for DEMO in a long time. Enough time to not recognize the DEMO staff (by the way thank you for the lovely introduction Nate, it was nice to meet you).

The venue was really something. It looked like an old VFW converted into a concert hall. The stage set up was surrounded by kitschy plaques of old photos, bald eagles, and of course The Pledge of Allegiance. They even sold hot dogs at the bar. No expense was spared.. They really went all out with the Americana.

All in all, great night. See you at the Acadia...

Look at my name gettin' the prime real estate!

2009-11-26T13:13:00.027-06:00

happy thanksgiving...

This is one of my favorite days of the year...

The family, the friends, the food, the football. I needed one more 'f' in there for some solid alliteration, and yes, I am aware that despite my use of poetic devices the above is only a sentence fragment.

Now is not the time for tangents. Now is the time to give thanks, relax, and eat yourself into a coma (Yay America!). I myself am thankful for a lot of things: I'm thankful for the roof over my head, I'm thankful for good music to listen to, I'm thankful for my family and friends, but most importantly I'm thankful for all of you!

To everyone who as helped out Radio Noir by donating, Thank you!

To everyone who reads this nerdy collection of musings everyday, Thank you!

To all the people who consistently come to Second-Hand Opera shows and scream along with us, Thank You!

Have a safe and happy holiday. I'll see you all next week, and don't forget to call your mothers!

And rest assured, I'm eating at the kids' table. Those guys know how to party!

2009-11-23T19:22:00.007-06:00

radio noir behind the scenes: joe mabbott

We should do more of these "interview" things...

After my chauffeur (Metrotransit) dropped me off in Saint Paul, I was ready to help prep our studio (in this case, dining room). We decided it would be a good idea to do the interview over dinner.

I walked into a kitchen full of life. A Halloween cake was in the oven (clearance sale don't judge us), and John was brewin' up some mighty fine vegetarian chili.

That specific entrée ended up quite the coincidence, because we didn't know Mabbott entered himself in a chili cook off. If he loses, we're not responsible, but in the event he wins... we taught him everything he knows!

After our pre-interview feast, we cracked a few beers and started the show. Joe might be one of the easiest guys to talk to I have ever met. It was great hearing his off air commentary during each selection of Us. Particularly his recording techniques for strings and mallet percussion.

Joe you're a gentleman and a scholar. Thanks for coming on the show.

I'm looking forward to that new Beak album.

It sure does Joe, It sure does...

2009-11-20T01:18:00.006-06:00

i can't believe i'm going to see the pixies...

Performing Doolittle of all things...

I never thought I would ever get the chance to see this band. Let alone see them perform (in my opinion) their best album from start to finish.

That's right folks Second-Hand Opera cellist Tim 'Badass' Binger, Vice President of Rush Lake Records Jonathan 'Cosmo' Kramer, Radio Noir Studio Technician John Peters, and yours truly are headed to Chicago for one epic road trip.

We leave, Friday. We see the punk pioneers, Saturday. We drive back just in time for Imaginary Jack, Sunday, and considering Jay Reatard is opening, this will be a hell of a weekend...

I get to see that song live!

See you guys on Monday...

2009-11-19T18:57:00.012-06:00

11.18.09 saint catherine univeristy's the pulse...

You guys were awesome!

Hmm should I really say guys?

Last night The Second-Hand Opera played at The Pulse, which is a venue on Saint Kate's campus.

College shows are always a mixed bag. You either get state-of-the-art sound and an apathetic audience, or a great audience with some pretty lack luster sound.

The sound was alright, but the audience was great! That even includes all the smart ass comments yelled out by Mr. John 'Cosmo' Kramer.

It was interesting performing on an all girls campus. I've been on the road enough times to become immune to the "You boys ain't from around here" look, but that look was never more obvious than last night. It made me a bit nervous, mainly because I didn't know what to think...

In all fairness, I had nothing to be nervous about. It was a very relaxing environment to play in, and the student body was really nice. A few of them hung out after the show to chat, and I always enjoy that. Yeah I know, I rhymed... I'm a tool.

The food they served us was a lot better than any college food I remembered and generous portions taboot. My only complaint for the night was my amp's behavior. It had a few moments of feedback, but only during the heavy songs so I don't think anybody could tell. All in all, great night!

The paycheck wasn't bad either...

I'm kidding of course. I want to thank every student at Saint Kate's, it was nice meeting you!

2009-11-17T22:41:00.008-06:00

radio noir behind the scenes: hotel san sebastian...

A Fender Rhodes is very heavy...

The gentlemen of Hotel San Sebastian came in waves. Foster arrived last, but he had to find a way to get off work, and I think he biked to our studio, which is badass.

The group had to dismantle their perfectly played Tetris game of gear they had assembled in the back of the car. Then carry it down a creaky set of stairs. They had a lot of unique instruments, and by unique I mean large in size. Although Foster's guitar is pretty cool looking.

The downtime conversation was really fun, even though the participants were mostly Woody and I. We talked about how every band in The Cities usually ends up playing with one another, and how we as artists naturally end up playing with the same bands night in and night out (whether we like it or not).

We all long for change, so expect see more Hotel San Sebastian/ Second-Hand Opera bills in the future, and perhaps the new Hotel album will be recorded at the Saint Paul Opera House...

I think I should explain something about the podcast. My opening line was, "I'm not sure if i want to edit that in post. I think I want to keep it in." Unfortunately what I was referencing got edited in post. Before we went on air, I advised everyone to keep silent when the theme song kicks in, because that means we're live.

As soon as I finished that sentence, Alex said something to the degree of, "Oh so I shouldn't say anything like 'I'm really high." I cut him off because the opening notes of "Woodstock Emergency Pipe" came on halfway through his sentence.

In a nutshell, the first sound heard on the broadcast was, "I'm really high." We tookit out of the podcast, but for those listening live I hope you got a good laugh.

Thanks for coming on the show guys! Oh and to the good people at American Rag, I'm sorry about the "On The Rag" comment. Sometimes things are funnier in my head than aloud...

Nevermind that line is still funny.

2009-11-16T20:32:00.007-06:00

studio diaries: manhattan...

I suppose I'll talk about the Manhattan Project...

Ok, that's a bit on the dramatic side, but it sounds so cool!

Manhattan was the first song we attempted, and it was difficult to record. The tempo fluctuates a bit (intentionally), so the click track was a disaster.

I hate that thing anyway. It can really take the emotion out of a song if you aren't careful. I digress once again...

There is a ton of space in this piece, and that made it hard for us to settle down and get a take. If we got the rhythm correct, we had no emotion. If we had all the feeling in the world, we were all over the place on the technical front.

"Sloppy Sloppy! Run it again!" Yes I'm aware that quote from Rudy was gratuitous, but we needed inspiration and I needed something to link in this post.

We had to use two separate sessions to track this song, which was the first and last time we resorted to that tactic. It took a lot of work, but I think we got the take.

Or did we?!?!

Yes, yes we did.

2009-11-12T20:50:00.011-06:00

i wrote love on my arms, did you?

Today is To Write Love On Her Arms Day...

As you can see, I wrote 'love' on my arm. Why? Because it's for a good cause damn it! If you are not familiar with To Write Love On Her Arms, you should at the very least Google it.

TWLOHA is a great organization that myself and other bands on the Keep In Touch Artist Collective (namely Waiting For December) proudly support. Not to mention they are non-profit, which makes them even more amazing.

Their mission statement, which you can read here, aims to help people who suffer from depression, self mutilation, drug addiction, and suicide. I think it is important to talk about these issues in an understanding, open, and safe manner. No one should ever feel like an outcast for feeling conditions such as these.

If you or anyone you know is going through any troubles remotely similar to what TWLOHA is all about, let them know... We love you and we want to help you.

See you guys Monday!

2009-11-12T01:27:00.012-06:00

they like me! they really like me...

Hey everyone, I'm Rush Lake Records artist of the week!

I hope you weren't expecting me to pull a Rodney Dangerfield and finish that sentence with "We're all gonna get laid," because let's face it, I can't make that promise.

However this is still cool in my book. I mean seriously, when does good press ever get old? The article will be embedded right...

Now!

Welcome to the Lake!

Featured Artist:

Pat Dougherty

Wednesday, November 11th, 2009

If there's an artist who can take the ideals of punk, mix in the free styles of jazz, and create songs in a folk setting, Mr. Pat Dougherty can do it ten-fold.

Pat Dougherty is not only working on one full length album due this early Spring, but two more EPs, his very own record label, Keep in Touch Records (which happens to be our sister label), recording with Dave Afdahl on his album, staring in an indie Zombie film, touring all over the US of A and growing a beard.

This man, sporting the "This Machine Still Kills Facists" stickers on all his instruments, has started to make quite an impact on the Twin Cites music scene.

We have much to expect in the future from Pat Dougherty so please stay tuned to his music and business. You can read his blog here and his myspace page here.

Check out his music and come see him and Dave Afdahl with The Second-Hand Opera on December 9th at the Acadia Café!

Good stuff no? I think the jerk said it best...

Big thanks to the people at Rush Lake. I'm somebody now!

2009-11-11T00:00:00.003-06:00

the studio diaries part one...

I should have started this already...

Last weekend we finished basic tracking for our lengthly 23 song project that will be 2 unique albums from The Second-Hand Opera.

Now hold on to your hats folks, I won't have my social life returned to me quite just yet. We have a lot of mixing, over dubbing, and mastering to do before that happens. What the hell does the sun look like anyway, does anyone know?

Let me paint you a picture my friends...

There is an old yellow house with bullet holes in the windows on the corner. All the way at the top of the stairs sit several guitar cases stacked on the right. A computer monitor rests next to a pillar of white bricks, hooked up to several cables and electronic boxes. This attic is our control room.

Follow the copper snake on the floor. Go down two flights of stairs and into the belly of the basement. This is where several drum kits, organs, keyboards, guitars, basses, banjos, and a cavalcade of other stringed and non-stringed instruments have lived for several weeks.

In the center of the this room: a gigantic boiler. It provides us heat and obstructed views. Each musician in the band is positioned around this boiler. This is our play room. This is our studio. We have converted this quiet old house into a sonic monster.

We've been recording these albums like Neil Young would. We all sit in the room. We play, and whatever take has the most emotion, we keep. Our over dubs will be minimal (auxiliary percussion, vocals, and strings) everything else is played live .

Eventually I'll share stories on a song by song basis, but for this entry, I wanted to describe the hole I've been crawling into for the past few months.

Thanks for reading!

2009-11-10T08:42:00.008-06:00

radio noir behind the scenes: cary aria...

A midsize car pulled up to our studio. It was stuffed with a drum kit.

This was Cary Aria. I didn't know what to expect, considering I thought he was performing a solo set that night. Turns out he was. He still had his drums from last night's gig in the car.

I met Cary on tour. At the time I had been on the road for only a few days, so it felt redundant to be playing in Stillwater (not far from the Twin Cities). We had a showcase at Shane's On Main, and Cary happened to be there. Andy met Cary first, but eventually we all started talking. By the end of the night we agreed to play a few shows together.

Almost a year had past and no gigs were set up, so I thought I would bring him on Radio Noir. It was an interesting set up that night. John couldn't be there, but he pre-prepped the studio and showed our room-mate Nick how to run sound. This scenario led to copious amounts of Good Will Hunting quotes. If you know me personally, you'll know I like quoting things... a lot.

Think I'm weird? Well Good Will Hunting is a fantastic film, and if you don't like it... Ya suspect! (tangent over).

Sometimes I feel guilty asking solo acts to load at 6 like everyone else. It causes a lot of down time, but downtime always yields some good chatting. I figured I owed it to Cary. He's a nice guy, and I hadn't seen him in awhile. It was good to catch up.

You should have heard some of his 'rock and roll injuries.' If you see him in a bar, ask him about a few. You won't be disappointed. We even told some anecdotes that went back to each other's high school days. It's rare when that happens. Normally if we have down time, I wait until 8 while the band smokes cigarettes. I always welcome a change of pace.

Good luck to you Cary, thanks for coming on the show, and big thanks to Nick Lee for stepping up on sound.

2009-11-09T18:57:00.006-06:00

i get high... on capitalism!

Well this is a milestone...

I have officially opened my own store. That's right, screw the middle man! You can buy everything directly from me. Orders may take up to 24 hours to process, but it will be cheaper than buying stuff with my name on it anywhere else.

Right now the store is a bit sparse, but that is because of the robbery. The laptops and hard drives stolen from us contained all of my masters from every Keep In Touch release, and considering most of my original pressings are sold out, I can't make more.

However I still have a few copies of the Soliloquies reissue, but act fast because I'm running out.

Sweet that means I have collector's items! Should I make pogs?

I digress...

Each item will include a hand written thank you letter from yours truly. If you have any problems with your purchase don't be afraid to contact me personally. I will add more to the store soon, but for now get yerself some good ol' fashioned Dougherty Dry Goods.

Now go forth and buy my friends, I want to take a treasure bath!

I don't really want to take a treasure bath, but it would be nice... Not thrilling, but nice

2009-11-06T15:47:00.011-06:00

i'm scruffy...

Yeah I look like a hobo, I know...

But there is a reason for this I swear! As you know, my band, The Second-Hand Opera, has been recording for quite some time now. To expedite the process we made a pact, "No shaving until the albums are done."

The work ethic: increased. The results: hilarious and pathetic. I am aware I can't grow a manly beard of biblical proportions. I have come to terms with it.

So there's your answer... This feeble attempt at facial hair is not for Octobeard, nor "No shave" November, and especially not for "I can't believe it's not Beard Wednesdays" at Johnny's (there is no such bar). Think of it more as a playoff beard, something to rally behind.

Despite my gene pool, I think I've done quite well for myself. I'm not even in last place in my band. Observe the standings.

I have a lot of work to do if I'm going to climb to the top of that list. Everyday I stare at this picture to keep myself motivated.

Seriously that guy is epic, I must shake his hand!

See you guys on Monday...

2009-11-05T11:58:00.014-06:00

radio noir behind the scenes: pezzettino...

Oh what a day this was...

If you follow Radio Noir (or know me personally) you know that our studio got robbed. The break-in literally happened 3 hours before Pezzettino performed on our show.

Imagine my surprise, when I came home from work to find fragments of my door frame lying on the ground next to a mangled padlock and useless screws. My immediate reaction was naive optimism, but that wore off quickly when I discovered several pieces of our equipment were missing.

I called John before I called the cops. He knew before I could get the words out. He could hear it in my worried and disappointed voice. After we took inventory via cellphone, I called Saint Paul's finest. Officer friendly showed up promptly... 1 hour later.

Margaret arrived a good 20 minutes before 'officer friendly'. I explained what happened, she gave us all hugs and yogurt covered raisins, then witnessed me file a police report (seriously Margaret you are amazing). We still had one laptop, so the game was on.

Now when you listen to the podcast you might notice John and I playing. This happened completely out of no where. The mixing board was on a flight case next to a drum set, and the laptop sat on an idle floor tom. This became John's mixing post (we never do Radio Noir this way).

It was just one of those days. We all wanted to hit something, so I picked up a guitar, John picked up some sticks, and Margaret kept encouraging us to play along (completely off the cuff). I can't remember if we ran through a song in its entirety before air time, it's all a blur.

I had to figure out the key of each piece by ear, and if I wasn't doing that I was finding random objects on floor for percussion. John was mixing with one hand while beating the drum kit with other, and Margaret was jumping around the room as if thousands of people were watching.

It all came clear to me during the song "Falling Down," at that moment no song in the world was more beautiful. That was it, the catharsis. We were doing exactly what we were supposed to be doing, having the time of our lives.

Thank you Margaret, have fun and be safe on tour!

2009-11-04T14:46:00.005-06:00

go phils...

As many of you know I am from Philadelphia, so I'm not the only transplant rocking in The Twin Cities.

Tonight is game 6. I'm a huge Phils fan. My plans are set for tonight.

Should be an interesting shootin' match. Especially since both ball clubs have their resident F.R.O.G. on the mound (the last three letters of that acronym stand for "Really Old Guy"). Hopefully the better team will be victorious.

I am a bit worried, considering Ryan "The Ryan King" Howard is in a slump and Johnny "Unfrozen Caveman Baseball Player" Damon is hitting the ball a bit too well for my tastes.

As for Rivera, he doesn't scare me. You can ask Broxton why...

This guy knows what I'm talking about.

2009-11-03T23:28:00.004-06:00

let the experiment begin...

Welcome, welcome, welcome!

Some of you may know me from Radio Noir, or The Second-Hand Opera, or Keep In Touch Records. Maybe you are meeting me for the first time. Regardless, thank you for coming.

My name is Pat Dougherty, and welcome to my blog. This will be my soapbox of sorts, a jumbled cornucopia of show anecdotes, tales from the road, and behind-the-scenes looks at Radio Noir and Keep In Touch Records... plus a lot of incoherent ramblings.

Speaking of that, The Second-Hand Opera and I have been in the studio for several months recording mine and Dave Afdahl's next albums. We hit a little snag after an electrical storm, and that caused some feedback. Mr. John Peters thinks we had grounding issues, but Mr. Joe Finstrom says electricity is just a million tiny Jesuses (Jesi?) running around.

I'm going with Finstrom. That seems legit...

We didn't get anything productive done, unless you count this masterpiece.

The brush work on Joe's mustache took hours!