Help Moe Make His Album!

UPDATE: We did it! Moe made his goal by $10, thanks to 75 generous contributors. Thanks, everyone.

There’s basically 1 day left …

July 4 is the Kickstarter deadline for funding the Moe! Staiano CD/LP recording project. By the time you read this, there’ll probably be less than 24 hours left, and at this writing, he’s so close to his $3,200 goal.

As mentioned before, the money would go towards printing CDs and LPs of Surplus 1980, a post-punk project that includes leftover songs from the defunct band Mute Socialite. There’s loud guitar goodness but also lots of other instruments, some vocals, and an all-around controlled-chaos philosophy in the music. (See Moe Staiano’s Next Album.)

But the link you really want to click (aside from the Kickstarter one) is this next one: The link to completed Surplus 1980 songs, posted to Soundcloud. You can find out exactly what kind of album you’re helping to create.

You can help put good music out to the world, and maybe even have Moe come to your house and make pancakes. Here’s the Kickstarter link.

Weasel Walter: Exit, Stage Right

On the site for his ugExplode record label, you can see that Weasel Walter, who’s been a Bay Area resident for the past few years, is up and moving to New York.

Sad news for us.  It was nice having him in town, playing in bands and in pickup improv ensembles, stirring the pot to create regular live gigs at places like The Uptown, releasing CDs that make apartment neighbors call the police at 2:00 a.m.

But like so many other musicians from so many other places, Weasel (I’m using his first name here, as if we’re best buds) hears the call of NYC. He’s leaving next week.

It’s the natural cycle of the Bay Area music scene — and it’s the same in hundreds of other places, I’d imagine. It takes a lot of work to keep a scene going when the economic returns are slim, when alcohol-serving venues are reluctant to host oddball music, and when local authorities are downright hostile to DIY events.

(Sure, the letter of the law requires permits and fire exits, but for some of these shows, you’re talking about 40- and 50-year-olds sitting in chairs listening intently to quiet, crystalline music.  The legal codes set for punk/metal fire-and-brimstone acts shouldn’t have to apply there. Granted, Weasel’s stuff  isn’t exactly quiet most of the time, but his free jazz doesn’t draw a pit-warning crowd either.)

The good news: Weasel will be able to work with NYC artists more regularly, including trumpeter Peter Evans and guitarist Mary Halvorson, both of whom he’s recorded with recently.  As an ongoing, working trio, they’ll be immense. Radio WFMU got a taste of the possibilities earlier this year.

Best of luck, Weasel!