Skip to main content

I Left My Heart In Monnow Valley

Hey Soul Mates,
we've been getting a nice response to our new
FORUM. Be sure to sign up and put in your two pence/cents.

Today's pictures for our website are from our first day in Wales. We drove straight from Huddersfield after our show to Monmouth. By the time we got there (around 4 a.m., the sun was on the rise). Monnow Valley Studio (MVS) is an amazing place. Special thanks to our Jo for putting us up and putting up with us. We absolutely loved MVS, lovely country and a brilliant studio. Just check out the photos. You'll get a sense of the natural beauty of the area. The house itself is an attraction, built in the 17th century or so. Narrow staircases, brick and wood.

The studio takes up half of the mill house. It is a large space with high ceilings. The main recording room is split in two by the famous door with it's mammoth millwheel. The end closest to the control room is where we did guitar and vocal tracking. The second half of the room is for drums and houses several keyboards and a grand piano.

My favorite picture in this group is the surreal shot of me at the grand taken from outside the studio. The reflection makes it appear as though the piano is made up of the small slabs of stone jutting from the hill behind.


As usual, special thanks to our official photog, Patty T for always capturing something magical. And there is lots to be said about the magic of MVS. And it's ghosts. But don't ask Bryan about his bed moving while no one was in his room. If you look closely at the pix, you'll see both Bryan and myself blogging. It had taken us a while to get somewhere to catch up with folks and our story on the internet.

It's hot as blazes in LA. We had a lot of unseasonable heat in Wales. Seems like we brought it back home. Been one of those weeks where you don't want to go outside at all. Here's to some cool relief.
Love, Power, Peace

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

John Lennon 40 Years On

Remembering John Lennon today. Forty years have flashed by. I can still hear my clock radio turning on to the incongruent sound of the Beatles on Dec. 9, 1980 and wondering why? I think about John every day. I am fortunate to have been able to make pilgrimage to Mendips, Abbey Road and Strawberry Fields, NY; to play on stages like the Cavern, the Jacaranda and the Troubadour where he performed or made trouble, or both. Here’s a quick playlist for you and me. (Just Like) Starting Over I Should Have Known Better Bless You Nobody Told Me Strawberry Fields Forever Nowhere Man Enjoy the day. Fill it with peace. Fill it with music. #JohnLennon #Liverpool

Murderous Haircut of the Mayor of Bel Air - Book Review

“The Murderous Haircut of the Mayor of Bel Air” is a trippy new mystery novel from Phillip Mottaz. It captures the grit and gilt of the City of Angels with the flair of a contemporary Raymond Chandler. The brisk pace and wit are reminiscent of Douglas Adams’s entries in the detective game. Flourishes of  Fletch  and “Medium” also spring to mind. However, Mottaz has added a psychic/mutant/superhuman touch and his own comedic voice, structure and internal monologues to the proceedings that help the author announce his own style and the arrival of a literary heroine for a new generation. Hairstylist and budding private investigator, Danica Luman is the perfect character to convey the irony, angst and sarcasm needed to tell a 21st century L.A. crime story. Danica also represents anyone who thought it would be neat to get tangled up in a mystery and the darkly comic cautionary tale that follows. The genre is recognizable, but Mottaz offers a fresh take on the not-ready-for-prime-ti...

Rush Hour Soul Returns

Hey Soulmates, been some time, but many of you on Facebook have already seen that Rush Hour Soul is back. I am very excited that while we are looking back at the 15th anniversary of our 2006 UK tour, there are things happening behind the scenes for 2021. For those unfamiliar, Rush Hour Soul is a trio with myself on bass and lead vocals. We were a part of the Indie/Powerpop scene in Los Angeles from 2004-2008, although our style was heavily informed by the Rolling Stones, Chic, ABC, and Sam & Dave. Funkier than our peers.  The well-known venues Rush Hour Soul played around Los Angeles included The El Rey, B.B. King's Blues Club and The Hard Rock Cafe. Our travels in Britain took us to Sheffield, Liverpool, York and back to London. There was a four day detour to Monnow Valley Studios in Wales where recorded in the old manor house. We shot a music video in London, as well. 2006 was a magical summer for the band. In 2008, the project was rechristened as a solo recording under my n...