Bel Air

FIRST FORTUNA REVIEW

2010-12-16T11:09:00.000-05:00

From AltCountryForum.nl (translation from Dutch by Cobie Langerak):

Ah, charming: Bel Air, a small band from Brooklyn - a group that two years ago debuted with the excellent album "Pole to Pole" has a new CD "Fortune". Allison Langerak (vocals, harmonica, keyboards), Jeff Mensch (vocals, guitar), Wyatt Tuzo (lap steel, guitar, vocals) toured the past two years from the East to the South of America. Their sound has been deeply enriched by the contributions of Stough Turner (bass) and Eric Kuby (drums), making "Fortune" a step up from Pole to Pole. By adding the rhythm section features this new album is clearly fuller and warmer than its predecessor. The creative energy that the group radiates by way of the drawling voice of Jeff Mensch and the sensual vocals of Allison Langerak is boundless.
Playing with the enormous possibilities found at the interface of folk rock, indie and country, they create a world where nothing seems impossible. Mood and emotion are central to the songs, with a big role given to vocal harmonies.. "Fortuna" is a beautiful and diverse album. Just listen to the lazy and graceful Getting There or Over Mexico,a song with a jangly sound. A tormented keyboard (Christmas), groaning electric guitars (Northern Lights) and acoustic guitars (Longing). All passionate, thoughtful or whimsical compositions by Bel Air, which remind you of a playful lamb hopping across the meadow. Sounds reminiscent of those such as Neil Young, Cowboy Junkies, The Cranberries and The Sundays. Highly recommended!

MARQUEE

2010-12-13T12:17:00.000-05:00

This was on the Zebulon chalk board on the night of our CD Release party!

PICS FROM ZEBULON

2010-12-08T15:18:00.000-05:00

Here are some pictures from our CD Release party at Zebulon. There are MORE on our website www.belairtheband.com

FORTUNA NOW AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE!

2010-12-08T15:15:00.001-05:00

Hey there! Thanks to everyone who made it out to our CD Release party for FORTUNA, our second full-length album! It was a great night and we were thrilled to have the opportunity to give away as many copies of Fortuna as we did! If you were not able to come to the party, you can still get our CD!! It is available for purchase on our website!! www.belairtheband.com

Also, available on our website .......

T-SHIRTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We are very excited about our hand-screened, American Apparel BEL AIR t-shirts! We hope you like them!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM BEL AIR!

2010-12-08T11:26:00.001-05:00

BEL AIR DID SOMETHING ACTIVE!

2010-11-10T17:54:00.001-05:00

Here are some pics of Jeff and Turner playing soccer with Asher, the son of our great friends and hosts in Chapel Hill, Jill and Dan.

We're Back!!!

2010-11-08T11:21:00.006-05:00

In more ways than one! Not only are we playing our first show in NY for a long while, we will be announcing our long awaited CD RELEASE SHOW shortly. That means FORTUNA is finally ready to see the light of day. Stay tuned for a lot more updates on the old Blog (I'm going to try and update at least a few times a week) and the start of some weekly, bi-weekly, and monthly series. It's gonna be a good winter!!!
xoxoxo,
Jeff (and Allie, Wyatt, Turner, and Eric)

HAHA

2010-08-02T09:55:00.002-04:00

From the Onion...

LAST NIGHT

2010-06-16T16:26:00.002-04:00

It was really great to have so many awesome friends at our show at Lakeside Lounge last night. So, thanks.

Love,
Bel Air

ALBUM COVER

2010-06-16T16:18:00.003-04:00

CREATE YOUR BAND NAME & ALBUM COVER:

To Do This

1 - Go to Wikipedia. Hit “random”
or click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random
The first random Wikipedia article you get is the name of your band.

2 - Go to Quotations Page and select "random quotations"
or click http://www.quotationspage.com/random.php3
The last four or five words of the very last quote on the page is the title of your first album.

3 - Go to Flickr and click on “explore the last seven days”
or click http://www.flickr.com/explore/interesting/7days
Third picture, no matter what it is, will be your album cover.

4 - Use Photoshop or similar to put it all together.

I really feel like I lucked out with that band name.

Anyway, as you may know Bel Air is finishing up our second record. We had a hell of a time coming up with cover art and a title. We should have just used this handy set of instructions! We would have saved ourselves a lot of trouble! Luckily, it didn't come to that. We now have both art and a title. Yay! More on that later...

MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN

2010-06-14T15:33:00.002-04:00

Bel Air is playing tomorrow night at the Lakeside Lounge!! 9pm. FREE!
Avenue B and 10th Street.

XO.

2010-06-09T17:42:00.002-04:00

From the Archive for Research in Archetypal Symbolism

GUEST SPOT

2010-06-09T16:15:00.009-04:00

I have, of late, had the pleasure of sitting in with the one and only Tris McCall. We played a show last Friday at the Grove Street PATH station in New Jersey as part of the JC Fridays events and got a write up in which Tris is, again, compared to David Byrne. Hee!

all pics by Zac Clark

PLEASE WORK...

2010-06-09T12:35:00.003-04:00

I am going to give this ONE MORE TRY.

Are you ready? No. I mean, are you ready? Are you REALLY ready? Or, are you just kidding around? I'm about to unveil something major here. I've been waiting for a while to do this so you're going to need to be significantly ready to handle what I'm about to "drop".

First, though, the back story: A while ago, a little band called Bel Air released a little album called Pole to Pole that had a little song on it called "Almost". "Almost" is a simple song. A country ballad, sad and slow. Except, NOT ANYMORE!!!

Almost - Disco Remix by belairband

Re-mix genius Chris Amann with Bel Air's own Jeff Mensch

I think we can all agree that Chris is brilliant beyond his years and should quit his job and start doing this type of thing FULL TIME. Thanks, Chris for all of your hard work and Jamaican rapping!

FORT USELESS PREVIEW

2010-05-26T14:53:00.003-04:00

StereoActiveNYC.com wrote up a preview of our show at Fort Useless!

It has some cool pictures of us from our Mercury Show.

Check it out!

photo by Jeremiah McVay

MIX PICS

2010-05-06T11:19:00.004-04:00

Hey Y'all! We posted some pictures from our recording/mix sessions on our website including this amazing pic of Wyatt with two pairs of headphones on. Check them all out here.

COUNTRY STYLE!!

2010-05-06T10:22:00.000-04:00

LUNCH TIME POLL

2010-04-26T14:32:00.009-04:00

A couple of years ago I was really into recording conversations, particularly really drunk conversations with members of my old band, Breakup Breakdown. Recently, I was going through some old files on my computer and came across a 20 minute recording of Breakup Breakdown leaving a venue in Savannah, GA and going to Krystal, which, if you've never had the pleasure of going to one, is like the White Castle of the South.

On the recording we decide who's driving, discuss what's on the menu at Krystal, what's the best fast food ever and the end is me ordering at the drive-through. At one point someone tries to drag race us. It's pretty classic. Once we get to the Krystal, everyone gets really grossed out at one of the options on the menu - breakfast-in-a-bowl. After googling a picture of it, I can see why we had that reaction.

Wyatt had a similar reaction to something he saw on TV this morning: the KFC Double Down. The KFC Double Down is a sandwich made up of two fried chicken filets, two pieces of bacon, two slices of Monterey Jack and pepper jack cheese and Colonel's Sauce, which I'm guessing is some kind of mayo based concoction. There is no bun involved here.

When he told me about this, I immediately thought of the burger that Paula Deen once made on her Food Network show, Paula's Home Cooking. Her "brunch burger" is not served on a bun either. It is served on Krispie Kreme doughnuts. Not one Krispie Kreme doughnut cut in half, mind you, but TWO WHOLE DOUGHNUTS. One on the top, one on the bottom. Oh, and it also has bacon on it. Annnnnd, a fried egg.

So, the question of the Lunch Time Poll is - which one is more over the top? Which one is more heart attack inducing? Vote away!

Which is more over the top?Market Research

BEL AIR - NEW ALBUM

2010-04-26T13:53:00.003-04:00

Last week was a long week but a productive one! We mixed our 10 song album in 5 days at Excello Recording. We were thrilled to have mix master Hugh Pool at the helm because he is so talented and such a great guy. Mixing can sometimes be a daunting process but Hugh made it a really fun experience and the songs sound better than we ever imagined they would. Plus, he made a toast at the end of the session. I love it when people make toasts...

Next up... Album Name and Album Art...

8MS - TOP 30 ALBUMS

2010-04-26T13:49:00.003-04:00

Hey Y'all,

Check out this piece on EightMillionStories.com in which me and 8MS film guy, Jon Zelazny list our top 30 albums of all time and then make fun of each other's choices.

Love,
Allie

SOMEBODY RULEZ

2010-03-18T17:46:00.002-04:00

OH MAN.....

2010-03-17T14:08:00.002-04:00

I've had something up my sleeve for a while and I think it's about time that I let you all in on it. But, only if you think you can handle it... Let me know if not, because this is big. BIG, I tell you!

On second thought, maybe I'll make you wait a bit.

Maybe tomorrow...

Maybe not...

RECORDING PHOTOS

2010-03-17T14:00:00.008-04:00

Cowboy Technical Services, March, 13th, 2010.

MERCURY PIC

2010-02-24T15:15:00.003-05:00

Here's a pic from our Mercury show on Monday. It was taken by our lovely friend Jamie MacKenzie.

Click on it for a larger version!

NEW REVIEW!

2010-02-23T14:59:00.003-05:00

Hey there. We had an amazing show at Mercury last night. War Party and the Library were awesome. Thank you so much to them and all of our friends that made it out!

Check this out! Our Into the Sea 7" was just reviewed on StereoactiveNYC.com!! Read it and weep!

TONIGHT...

2010-02-19T10:19:00.005-05:00

...we rip the Harrisburg, PA Radisson a new one.

We are playing the Millennium Music Conference (Friday, February 19th, 10pm). Our show is at the Local Beat and we will be playing with fellow country rockers The Hello Strangers and Booker Lee and the County Fair. After the show, the party continues at the Radisson Hotel Bar! Woot!

The Local Beat
212 3rd St
New Cumberland, PA
10pm

After party:

Radisson
1150 Camp Hill Bypass
Camp Hill, Pennsylvania

ON THE BEAT - FEBRUARY

2010-02-19T10:14:00.002-05:00

Check out this month's column!

MERCURY SHOW!!

2010-02-09T20:24:00.002-05:00

BEL AIR YOUTUBE CHANNEL

2010-02-02T16:46:00.001-05:00

There are some new videos on the Bel Air YouTube Channel!! Check 'em out!

PICS FROM SUNDAY

2010-01-20T15:14:00.003-05:00

Here are some pics of me and Jeff gettin' all singer-songwriter on yo' asses.

NEW ON THE BEAT

2010-01-18T17:29:00.002-05:00

Hey, Y'all! My January On the Beat column is now up on EightMillionStories! It's a virtual tour of North 15th and Gem!! Enjoy.

SONGWRITERS SALON

2010-01-12T16:17:00.001-05:00

Jeff and I are doing this on Sunday. Here's the deal:

The Songwriters Salon is curated with the help of Jared Friedman (of Holy Moly!) and features musicians showcasing new and old material. Discussion among participating songwriters is encouraged, but not required.

The SUGGESTED format (we're not strict) for the evening is for each musician to play:

- one cover
- one new song, never played before in public
- one or two additional songs, previously played or new

Starting at 6pm w/ order to be determined randomly on the night of the show:

- Allie Langerak (of Bel Air)
- Andrew St. Aubin (of Aldenbarton)
- Jared Friedman (of Holy Moly!)
- Jeff Mensch (of Bel Air)
- Jessica Flanagan (of El Jezel)
- Jim Wood (of Aldenbarton)
- Jonathan Pilkington Kahnt
- Marisa Cerio (of Boy Genius)
- Peter Frisa
- Unsacred Hearts
- MORE TBA!

Also:
- cheap beer
- and perhaps some other tasty treats

http://fortuseless.com

SMOKE BEL AIR

2010-01-05T16:37:00.002-05:00

(Thanks, Erich)

BEST OF 2009

2010-01-05T15:20:00.002-05:00

Earlier in the year, our debut album, Pole to Pole was reviewed for the music blog Fensepost by one of their reviewers, Ron Tremblath. Months later he included us in his "Best Of" list for 2009. We are flattered! Thanks, Ron!

HUH

2009-12-10T11:45:00.003-05:00

Why didn't anyone tell me that Jonah Hill was in the Turtles?

Observe:

1967

2009

How has he stayed so young looking? Is he a vampire or something?

WILCO LOFT

2009-12-09T17:13:00.000-05:00

This here's a link to a very cool article about Wilco's loft in Chicago. Click me!

For a bit of contrast, here's a quick video of our practice space. (God help us - we have a YouTube account.) The boys were busy geeking out about Keith Moon or something when I shot this. I don't even hear it anymore.

TOUR DIARY

2009-12-09T17:00:00.003-05:00

Hey All! I've written a tour diary of sorts for my column on Eight Million Stories.

Check it out! It has pictures!

On the Beat - Tour Diary Edition

BEL AIR'S TOUR DE SOUTH!!!

2009-11-10T12:32:00.001-05:00

Hey All,

Just a reminder about Bel Air's Tour de South 2009. We'll be heading out on the road for a week starting November 15th! We've got some great shows lined up and we couldn't be more excited about it. So, if you live in any of the cities listed below, we'd love to see you! If not, please feel free to pass on the information to any friends who do. We're grateful.

BEL AIR - SOUTHERN TOUR 2009

Nov. 15th at The M Room - Philadelphia, PA

Nov. 16th at The Juggling Gypsy - Wilmington, NC

Nov. 17th at The Garage - Winston Salem, NC

Nov. 18th at The Bobo Gallery - Asheville, NC

Nov. 19th at 8th and Rail - Auburn, AL

Nov. 20th at Hang Fire - Savannah, GA

Nov. 21st at Slims - Raleigh, NC

Follow us on twitter (www.twitter.com/belairband) if you want to keep up with all the hot gossip from the road in real time.

We'll be back in NYC and playing at Union Pool on December 4th. Fresh off the tour, we should be in good shape. Or, completely busted. We shall see.

xoxoxo,
Allie, Jeff, Wyatt, Turner & Eric
www.belairtheband.com

WHEELS

2009-10-28T15:16:00.003-04:00

I just remembered that we were seriously considering naming the band Wheels before we came up with Bel Air. I'm glad someone talked me out of that. It was probably Wyatt.

Photo by Jamie MacKenzie
Sepia nonsense by me. I was bored.

WORLD SERIES

2009-10-28T12:04:00.002-04:00

The Phillies? Really? Do they honestly think they're any match for the Yankees? I mean, they're THE YANKEES. THE Yankees. Get real, Phillies!

TOUR NONSENSE

2009-10-28T11:56:00.004-04:00

Things to do in the van:

- listen to pre-made mixes
- play Garage Band trivia game
- geek out on music
- video tape each other
- play 20 questions
- play Seinfeld trivia (Allie and Eric)
- eat gorp
- get lost
- back seat drive (Jeff)
- glare at each other
- listen to Pandora
- come up with set lists
- read Twilight (Allie)
- read yellowed Penguin classics (Turner)
- smoke (Jeff and Turner)

CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE

2009-10-28T11:31:00.003-04:00

I listened to Justin Townes Earle's album Midnight at the Movies recently and once again remarked on the female backing vocals on "Mama's Eyes" and "Here We Go Again". I went to allmusic.com to find out who that singer is. It turns out there are no female singers listed in the credits for that album. So, I still don't know who to be crazy jealous of.

I did notice that Cory Younts who is the amazing multi-instrumentalist that JTE tours with is credited with "Whistle (Human)". I love that! It's a very important distinction.

CURRENT OBSESSION

2009-10-28T11:19:00.004-04:00

Deer Tick, These Old Shoes

Deer Tick will be doing some dates (though not the NYC-area shows) with Neko Case in November. I would love to see them together.

The new album Born on Flag Day is great. Check it out when you get a minute.

If you can't see this video you can access it with this link.

HELLO AGAIN!

2009-10-08T11:55:00.008-04:00

Sorry about the lack of posts lately. Everyone needs a blogcation, right?

Despite the blog slacking, we have a lot going on. We're gearing up for the CMJ Music Marathon 2009! Our showcase is on Wednesday, October 21st at the Alphabet Lounge (Avenue C and E. 7th Street) at 10pm. Here's the schedule for the night:

7pm - Heath Street
8pm - Jones Street Station
9pm - Blair
10pm - Bel Air

Notice anything about this list? Two "street" bands and then Blair and Bel Air. The CMJ schedulers have an interesting sense of humor. When Wyatt was in Masculine Feminine he played a CMJ showcase with Junior Senior and Mommy and Daddy.

The weird thing about this bill is that it actually makes sense. Heath Street is folkie singer/songwriter kind of stuff, Jones Street Station (who didn't get to play at last year's ill-fated pig roast) are great country rock featuring our friend Jon Hull on harmonica. Blair's songs are really interesting - influenced by Neil Young and alt-country but not in an obvious way. Then us. You know what we sound like: kind of an amalgamation of all of the above.

Besides CMJ, we (read: Wyatt) have been working on our brand new OFFICIAL WEBSITE!!! It's your new one stop place for all things Bel Air. It has photos, a store, our twitter feed, news and MORE. Check it out! We're excited about it.

We've also been working on our fall tour-de-south. It's coming together. Here are the dates:

15-Nov-09 The M Room Philladelphia, PA
16-Nov-09 Juggling Gypsy Wilmington, NC
17-Nov-09 The Garage Winston Salem, NC
18-Nov-09 The Bobo Gallery Asheville, NC
19-Nov-09 8th and Rail Auburn, AL
20-Nov-09 Hang Fire Savannah, GA
21-Nov-09 Slims Raleigh, NC

I've started chronicling the process of booking/planning/doing a tour in my Eight Million Stories column. You can read the first installment here. The next one will be posted next week (Oct. 16th).

Thanks for reading this long-winded post. I guess I'm trying to make up for lost time!

XOXOXO

ON THE BEAT - TOUR EDITION

2009-09-18T14:44:00.004-04:00

Hey there. My September On the Beat column is up! In it, I begin what is looking like it might be a 2 or 3 parter about planning a tour as an indie band.

CHECK IT OUT!

We might be jumping trains if we don't secure a van soon...

CUTE!

2009-09-16T16:44:00.003-04:00

Last winter, Bel Air went to see Wilco and Neil Young at MSG. The concert happened to fall on the birthday of Jeff Tweedy's son Spencer. We all sang Happy Birthday to him and then he played drums with the band on... Late Greats I think? Anyway - 13-year-old Spencer Tweedy has a blog in which he quotes his father, philosophizes about hipsters and penguin classics, chronicles his dates with the style rookie and apologizes for going to WalMart.

VMA CRAZINESS

2009-09-14T16:39:00.004-04:00

This get-up is just disturbing. Even bastion of human sympathy, Eminem, looks concerned.

WOW!

2009-09-03T15:54:00.002-04:00

"Joshua Bell is one of the world's greatest violinists. His instrument of choice is a multimillion-dollar Stradivarius. If he played it for spare change, incognito, outside a bustling Metro stop in Washington, would anyone notice?"

This is a great article from the Washington Post. If you haven't read it, I highly recommend taking a minute to do so.

Here's a video of Joshua Bell doing what he does best: looking cute. Oh, and playing the violin.

If you can't see this video you can access it with this link.

BEL AIR ON THE AIR

2009-09-03T12:31:00.002-04:00

Bel Air opens and closes the current episode of Americana Rock Mix! Check it out here! Scroll to the bottom to listen to the episode.

SHOW AT PETE'S

2009-08-31T12:13:00.005-04:00

After practice on Thursday, Bel Air went to Pete's Candy Store to see Hartwell Littlejohn and T.K. Webb play. They were both great and both covered great songs - Hart did 3 Gram Parsons songs and T.K. did Pancho and Lefty. Here's a pic of T.K. (it was dark in there):

CURRENT OBSESSION

2009-08-27T14:58:00.003-04:00

Antony and the Johnsons - Aeon

Just try to watch this video and not get completely sucked in. I dare you!

I'm totally obsessed. Who's with me? Antony and the Johnsons' new album The Crying Light is really, really good. Antony's voice would have been enough for me to love it but his songwriting puts it over the edge. It incorporates melodies and cadences that seem to be inspired by the "classical" art song tradition and still manages to sound of the minute.

8MS - ON THE BEAT - AUGUST

2009-08-25T12:13:00.001-04:00

Hey Y'all! My August edition of On the Beat is now up on Eight Million Stories. Check it out!

LIVE AT LEGION

2009-08-17T16:49:00.005-04:00

The fundraiser for Toy Box Theatre Company was a success! Here is a video clip sent in by a very nice friend of Matt's that features a sneak peak at one of our brand new tunes. And, a creepy, moving (possessed?) doll:

LIVE SHOW!!

2009-08-03T18:02:00.002-04:00

Bands start at 4, we're the second band. Extrapolate from that what you will.

Not only is there no cover for this show, the hosts of this party are paying people to attend (in BBQ which is the best currency I can think of).

This is a benefit show for our pal Mike Holmes' theater company so you can feel good about drinking in the middle of the day. You'll be (drunkenly) supporting local theater!

DON PEDRO'S SHOW - BEL AIR

2009-07-29T21:39:00.009-04:00

We would like to thank our buddy Dave Reich for taking these photos. He is both talented and charming.

Click on the photos for slightly larger versions.

Our new drummer Eric!

DON PEDRO'S SHOW

2009-07-29T21:30:00.006-04:00

Here are some pictures from the show last night at Don Pedro's. It was an awesome night. Thanks to Nervous Assistant, Holy Moly and Katy Mae for playing with us! Pictures of Bel Air will follow...

LIVE BEL AIR

2009-07-28T12:06:00.004-04:00

We are playing a free show tonight in Brooklyn at Don Pedros!
This will, unfortunately, be one of our last two shows with our bass player Matt, as he has decided to move on to browner pastures (LA).
Tonights set should be a really exciting one, as we plan to strip away some of the slow jams to expose our inner rockness.
This will be our "official" release show for our new 7" (which you can buy from our blog sidebar------->)

You can plan on hearing plenty of new music from us tonight! We will be previewing a number of songs that we have been working on for our upcoming full-length.

Hope to see you there.
love, bel air

Don Pedros is: 90 Manhattan Avenue b/w Boerum & McKibben.
Bands include our friends Holy Moly and Katie Mae. We will be playing at 10 SHARP.

NEW REVIEW

2009-07-28T11:57:00.005-04:00

Hey! The folks over at fensepost.com just posted a very positive review of Pole to Pole.
Check it out here:
fensepost.com
Thanks!

GOD HELP US

2009-07-23T10:09:00.005-04:00

We're on Twitter.

Get ready for some SWEEEEEET TWEEEEEETS!

belairband is our name...follow us!

8MS - JULY

2009-07-21T18:02:00.009-04:00

Hey Y'all! My July On the Beat column is now up on eightmillionstories.com.

Check it out!

Here's a pic of one of the coolest guitar players ever, Jason Groth, that got cut from the column:

photo by the Tuze

I swear, everything that this guy plays is solid gold magic.

Last month's column marked the one year anniversary of On the Beat. Whoops! I forgot to celebrate. That party would have been a rager. Oh well. Next year...

GORGEOUS PRACTICE SPACE PT. 2

2009-07-16T16:50:00.006-04:00

I've posted about our gorgeous practice space bathroom before but it never gets old.

There are some new additions to the bathroom. The people that frequent our practice space building are so creative that they just can't stop - even in the bathroom. I've heard that people can get inspired in the shower and stuff so maybe this makes sense.

Those are some inspired lyrics. Please disregard the smear towards the bottom.

There are some painters in the crowd as well:

Fantastic work.

And, no soap. Lovely!

REVIEW

2009-07-11T19:04:00.003-04:00

Hey Y'all. We got our first review of our new 7" single, Into the Sea on the Fire Note. CHECK IT OUT HERE and then come to our 7" release party at Don Pedro's on July 28th!! 10pm!

SAVE THE DATES!

2009-06-26T09:23:00.003-04:00

Bel Air Summmer Shows:

July 28th - Don Pedro's Brooklyn

August 9th - Legion. Toy Box Theater Company Fundraiser!

August 20th - Pete's Candy Store. Acoustic Show!!

Details will follow.

R.I.P. MICHAEL JACKSON

2009-06-26T09:13:00.004-04:00

As sad as I am that the world has lost Michael Jackson, it seems appropriate that our modern day Peter Pan didn't grow old. He will be missed.

The poster that hung on my childhood bedroom wall.

One of the best albums EVER.

ADAM WON AFTERALL

2009-06-25T10:40:00.002-04:00

We take all kind of pills to give us all kind of thrills
But the thrill we've never known
Is the thrill that'll get you when you get your picture
On the cover of the Rolling Stone

Rolling Stone
Wanna see my picture on the cover
Rolling Stone
Wanna buy five copies for my mother
Rolling Stone
Wanna see my smilin' face
On the cover of the Rolling Stone

ON THE BEAT - SUMMER EDISH

2009-06-18T15:53:00.003-04:00

"My skin's soaked right through to the skin!" (R. Starr,1965)

It may not feel like it with all this rain - but in a few short days it will officially be Summer. Check out my recommendations for Summer Festivals in my latest On the Beat column for EightMillionStories.com. It's 10% information, 90% rambling.

LUNCHTIME POLL RESULTS

2009-06-16T18:02:00.002-04:00

Our man on 4th Street, Bob Dylan, scored a whopping 50% of the votes in our "Best Songwriter" poll. Way to go!

The weiner.

HEY YOU!

2009-06-16T17:59:00.001-04:00

Do you have the Moondoggies album "Don't be a Stranger"? You should get it, if not. I got a long time ago and just re-discovered how good it is.

As you were...

SOMETIMES

2009-06-09T13:55:00.005-04:00

Rhett Miller has a song called "Sometimes" on his new self-titled album. He and I are on the exact same wavelength. It's like we share a brain.

I'm a little disappointed with his new album cover, though. It just doesn't show off what a good looking man he is:

Seriously. You don't waste potential like this:

BOOK REPORT #3

2009-06-08T16:19:00.003-04:00

Michelle Mercer is a writer and NPR contributer, but beyond that, she is, like myself, a fan of Joni Mitchell. She writes from a (highly informed) fan's perspective. I like that. I relate to that. If it's dark sides you're looking for, this may not be the right book. If you are a fan - especially of her "Blue Period" - you must read this.

Mercer met Joni while working on her first book Footprints: The Life an Work of Wayne Shorter. After interviewing Joni for that book, she continued to conduct first hand interviews with her, many of which are chronicled and quoted in the book. She also looks into her motivations as a songwriter and storyteller. Some of Joni's more obvious influences are relationships and her geographical surroundings but Mercer takes it to a higher level: What makes anyone want to write a song about themselves at all? Why do we engage in so-called "confessional songwriting"? As much as she is associated with it, Mitchell doesn't like that term. Nevertheless, the history of confession-as-art is documented by Mercer with references to Augustine among others. It's very meta. Why was Joni doing these things she didn't even like or know she was doing? Because it's human nature or some kind of collective sub/conscious...yadayadayada. I dig it.

The "Blue Period" is, arguably, the span in Joni's career when she did her best work. It covers 1971 - 1976 (Blue, For the Roses, Court and Spark, Hissing of Summer Lawns, and Hejira). WOWOWOW. What a collection of albums. All amazing. Just to go on record - Hejira is my favorite. It's a masterpiece. Before I read this book, I didn't know that it was primarily written while Joni was driving across country to Damariscotta, Maine on a pseudo kidnapping mission. I like knowing these things. This book is informative and anecdotal without being gossipy. There are no piano songs on Hejira. It's much easier to write guitar songs on the road. Very eeenteresting.

Some may take issue with Mercer injecting the book with stories from her own life but I found her stories entertaining and her writing good -if a bit aggressively anti-Dan Fogelberg/Carly Simon. Sometimes I felt like telling her "If you don't have anything nice to say..." but perhaps she had spent a little too much time Joni. Anyone who's read interviews with Joni knows that it's better not to get her started either. Don't bring up that "minor talent" Jackson Browne if you know what's good for you!

I recommend this book to all fans of Joni Mitchell, all song-writers, all hippies and Graham Nash who is all of the above.

SOLO MENSCH

2009-06-06T22:34:00.006-04:00

Years ago Breakup Breakdown played a house party in Brooklyn on the coldest night of the year. It was an absolute blizzard. The car service that brought us and our gear to the place had to go 5 miles an hour. We were lucky to get the few people that showed up in the audience. Anyway, as we were loading out, I took some pictures and got such a good one of Jeff that I told him I thought it should be the cover for his first solo album:

At the BUBD reunion rehearsal I took another picture of Jeff that should be his follow-up album:

LAST NIGHT AT BLACK BETTY EVER!!

2009-06-04T13:57:00.010-04:00

The Break-Up has reunited (and it feels so good) to play the very LAST Hot Rocks party at Black Betty. The restaurant/bar is closing it's doors after a long, successful run due to greedy landlords. We are happy to be a part of it, even though the occasion is sad. It gives us all an excuse to drink tall boys of Bud in the same room together again.

And, yet another picture of Jeff flipping off the camera:

Good times.

The LAST Hot Rocks Party EVER:
The Break-Up and The Vitamen
Black Betty
Havemeyer and Metropolitan, Williamsburg
Tuesday, June 9th, 8pm

R.I.P. JAY BENNETT

2009-05-28T17:23:00.003-04:00

YOU CAN NOW BUY BEL AIR MUSIC DIRECTLY FROM US!

2009-05-27T15:00:00.007-04:00

See that new dropdown menu on our sidebar ------------->

Thats where you can buy a copy of our new 7" (or CD, for that matter [or BOTH, for THAT matter])

We will hand pack your purchase with love, the postal service will handle the rest.

Here is a drawing to help make sense of it all:

LUNCHTIME POLL

2009-05-25T17:15:00.007-04:00

So, it looks like I can continue NOT tipping my laundry people with your support.

There's a new poll up inspired by the new Steve Earle album Townes which is an album of Townes Van Zandt covers. Earle seems to deeply believe that Townes Van Zandt is the best songwriter in EVER. He even named his son after the guy. What do you think? Whose coffee table will you be standing on and what shoes will you be wearing?

THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE...

2009-05-20T17:04:00.005-04:00

When the magic happens:

BIG BEL AIR NEWS

2009-05-20T16:45:00.003-04:00

Tomorrow our 7" records will be in and ready to go! Side A is our new "single" Into the Sea and Side B is a new and different version of You Can't Do Much which was on Pole to Pole.

ANNNNDDDD.... We are playing out - as in live, in front of people - on May 29th. If you are in the vicinity of Millerton, NY that night, you might want to stop by Manna Dew (54 Main Street). We'll be doing a 2 hour set(!) and were really pulling out the stops. We start at 10pm. Check it out!

8MS

2009-05-18T07:47:00.002-04:00

Sorry, Jersey. I had to rag on you a little.

Check out my latest On The Beat column on EightMillionStories.com in which I expound on this post.

AI FINALE THIS WEEK!

2009-05-18T07:42:00.003-04:00

Oh, Gokey. We hardly knew ye.

Gokey.

I'm definitely rooting for Adam. It should be an interesting finale.

American Idol Finale
FOX
Tuesday, 8pm.

PRETZEL POLL

2009-05-04T17:19:00.005-04:00

It seems that there is a consensus about pretzel prices. Most people (5 out of 6) expect to pay $2 for a pretzel. In reality they cost $3. Congrats to the one person (Jill?) who voted for $3. You win!

Vote on the next poll! To your right --->

:-(

2009-05-04T14:36:00.002-04:00

Because of a freak situation involving a crab cake sandwich and a vegetarian shepherd's pie, Wyatt and I missed JTE's show at Maxwell's. I cried. The end.

ARE YOUR SMARTER THAN A MEMBER OF BEL AIR?

2009-05-04T12:30:00.004-04:00

Recent Bel Air email thread:

From Drew (who works for the University of Auburn):

This is what our coaches rented this week to roll around in and visit recruits at their High Schools....

Funny stuff.....

From Allie:

Wow. I like how it says "touch of class" on it. :-)

From Drew:

Yeah, apparently that's the place they rented it from....kinda ironic.

Most staffs will have 1 or 2 coaches that visit a kid in a certain area, but we're sending the whole staff to visit them.

Trying to turn this thing around quickly down here......

From Jeff:

That is pretty classy

Glad to see that they stress the academics down there

From Drew:

The Athletic Department budget runs separately from the university budget so the 2 aren't really related...however, the athletic budget gains so much $ that it contributes to scholarships, donations, etc. to the overall university.....

Auburn still remains a top 45 public university nationally and has been there for some time now....

Football just happens to be king.

http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/college/national-top-public

From Jeff:

whatever...UCONN #26

go huskies

(like i could give a shit)

From Allie:

Haha. That's hilarious.

SUNY Binghamton - 34!

Big ups to SUNY.

From Matt:

F u, bitches - Wisconsin's #7 - I'm the smartest member of Bel Air! Woo hoo! Go badgers!

Where's my f'n limo?!

THE NEW YANKEE STADIUM PT. 2

2009-05-04T12:06:00.003-04:00

Since I'm into doing stadium reviews, I have to put my two cents in on the house next to the house that Ruth built.

I agree with everything Wyatt mentioned. It is clean and friendly. The seats are more spacious and the sightlines are great even from the second to last row in the nosebleeds (all the other seats were $3,000). It is very similar to the old place in feel and layout. I approve.

If the terrible people sitting in front of us are any indication, the new Yankee Stadium will quickly lose it's shininess. The guy was spitting sunflower seed shells in every direction but the one towards his empty beer cup. I don't blame the people sitting next to him for wearing gas masks and plastic ponchos. You can never be too careful about swine flu. (Why didn't I take a picture of these people, you ask? Argh... At the time, I didn't want to be an obnoxious asshole. Regrettable. An ounce of obnoxiousness is worth a pound of good blogging. Oh well. Lesson learned.)

Finally, to get a sense of what it's like to actually be there, check out this nauseating 360 degree tour:

IN BEL AIR NEWS:

2009-05-01T11:09:00.006-04:00

As many of you may know, we have been on a short performing hiatus. We are sad to say that we have had to say goodbye to our beloved drummer, and friend, Andrew Kilpatrick. After much debate, Drew decided to move back to Alabama to take advantage of his house until this economic downturn blows over. We wish him the best of luck down there and look forward to collaborating together in the future.

oh and...WE HAVE A NEW RELEASE COMING SOON!!!

A week before Drew left, we went into the studio to lay down some new tracks we had been working on together. After an (admittedly) paced mixing and mastering, the albums are currently at the press. We should have copies available for purchase mid may. This is going to be a vinyl only single. When purchased, the 7" will come with a download code so you get the best of both worlds. You will be able to download the digital files in the format and fidelity of your choosing (from 128Mbps MP3 up to uncompressed PCM WAV)

The A side of the single is for one of Jeff's new songs "Into the Sea"
The B side will only be available on this release, and is a full band remake of Allie's "You Can't Do Much".

We're very exited!

In other news: We have started rehearsing with a new drummer, so look for shows to start up again soon. Myself, Allie, and Jeff have all stayed busy writing in the downtime, and Bel Air plans to get back into the studio to finish recording our new full length as soon as we get back up to speed.

Updates soon.
XOXO

GAME DAY!

2009-05-01T10:54:00.005-04:00

Last night Allie and I went to our first game of the 2009 baseball season. As expected, our mere presence helped lead the Yankees to victory! You're welcome, Yankees.

Here are some first reactions to the NEW Yankees stadium:

-Stadium Staff...very friendly (and not in an annoying or patronizing way)
-ATMs!
-Beer Prices are up $2 on average (BOOOOO!)
-On a clear day, the outfield is blinded by the sun
-On a windy day, balls are being gusted to home-run status
-Urinals are uncomfortably close to one another (I was shoulder to shoulder with my peeing brethren, a little familiar for my taste)

All-in-all a successful outing. In time, I'm sure we can expect to see that patina of grime we've come to welcome at our new stadium as well.

COVERS?

2009-04-23T14:46:00.002-04:00

Bel Air is accepting suggestions for cover songs to play at upcoming acoustic shows. Anyone?

NEW STUFF

2009-04-23T11:03:00.003-04:00

How are ya?

There's good news and bad news. I'll start with the bad news. Anoop was eliminated last night. I can't say much more about it without getting emotional...

The good news is I have picked a new favorite - I'm now rooting for Danny Gokey. Sure, I could have taken the easy road and picked Adam but I like a good underdog. Paula thinks Gokey has a sexy voice and I do, too. Plus, I like saying Gokey.

Gokey.

The other good news is that I added a new header and a new feature to this blog. The new feature is a poll on the right side. Please vote! The topics for the polls will be somewhat NYC-related so I apologize to our readers in Dubai for not including them.

I hope the new header looks good on everyone's computer. If it doesn't please let me know!

PEARL JAM 10

2009-04-14T11:54:00.005-04:00

Pearl Jam's "Ten" (one of my top 25 most influential albums of ALL TIME) has been reissued. From Rolling Stone: "Four different editions of Ten were released on March 24th, 2009, ranging from the double-disc Legendary Edition to the absolutely stacked Super Deluxe Version, which features 2 CDs, a DVD of their 1992 MTV Unplugged performance, 4 LPs and a replica cassette of the band’s famed Momma Son demo tape. Plus, a remix of the album will be overseen by producer Brendan O’Brien, who worked with the band on four albums."

Wyatt and I checked out the remix the other day. I can never really say much about remixes. My ear for that stuff just isn't very good. Maybe if I heard the old and the new back to back I could tell but, otherwise, not. The album definitely stands up, though. Every song is great.

The Giraffes should cover the fourth track "Why Go" simply because it would be so easy for them. I doubt that the Giraffes are influenced by Pearl Jam but they may share some of Pearl Jam's influences. They instantly came to mind when that song came on.

I stumbled upon topalbumcovers.com while writing this post which is really fun to browse through. "Ten" is number 99 on the list of 100. This is #46:

HEAR THIS

2009-04-07T21:58:00.007-04:00

I can't get enough of this guy. I listened to his new album, Midnight at the Movies in its entirety 8 times over the weekend. The song in the video is the fourth track on the album. The album version has some sweet female backing vocals on it that I'm totally jealous of. Justin, if that chick ever quits on you, I'm available. Call me.

Anyone up for Maxwell's on May 1st?

IN REVIEW

2009-04-07T21:13:00.004-04:00

So much to say.

First - Gokey didn't do Journey but he was still pretty great.

Second - Dude. Adam is good. Tears for Fears? Awesome!

Third (and most importantly) - Anoop Dogg is BACK! He took one of my top five least favorite songs and made me love it. Also, his baby pictures were almost too cute to handle, too cold to hold. Also, also, he apologized for his behavior last week. I knew that wasn't the real him! Ok. You can shoot me now.

SOMEONE STOP ME

2009-04-07T14:20:00.004-04:00

Before I let this blog turn into a clone of some teenybopper's American Idol fansite, I wish to say that I regret posting so much about AI but regrettably cannot help myself. By the way, only cool people refer to American Idol as AI.

Anyhoozers, tonight's episode's theme is "Songs from the year you were born". I'm really hoping for some greatness here. Especially from Gokey. You know how they have the contestants do those stupid song and dance things on elimination nights? Normally these things are a complete and utter waste of time but last week there was an instance of brilliance. The song was "Don't Stop Believing" by Journey and when it came time for Gokey's solo phrase he NAILED IT. Watch your back, Arnel Pineda. Gokey and Journey songs are a match made in heaven.

Wikipedia kindly tells me that Gokey was born in 1980 making "Any Way You Want It" (off Journey's 1980 release Departure) a golden opportunity. You know Randy would like it. He is a former Journey member, after all.

Born to Run, Horses, Blood on the Tracks, Physical Graffiti, Wish you Were Here, A Night at the Opera and The Basement Tapes all came out in the year I was born. I would have a lot to choose from!

I'M CHANGING MY TUNE

2009-04-01T13:42:00.003-04:00

Was it me or was Anoop a little full of himself last night? His performance of "Caught Up" was a little sneery and uninspired. Simon said it gave him a headache.

Don't cross him, don't boss him.

I didn't vote for Anoop for the first time this season. I voted for Scott. Scott is the new Anoop.

The Tender Dogg was really good last night, too.

If Megan doesn't get the boot this week I'll be surprised.

RYAN AND MANDY

2009-03-27T09:56:00.003-04:00

Dear Ryan,

First, let me say congratulations on your marriage to Mandy Moore. I am so happy for you. I want you to be happy. You know that. But, I'm a little sad that I had to find out about your recent nuptials while casually reading InTouch Weekly over a plate of Pad Thai the other night. I thought that, after all we've been through together, that you might have called. I don't know. That's just me.

We had so many good times. Remember that time that we carved our names into a tree and then when they cut down the tree you used the wood to make a boat and Christened it my name? Down on Meadowlake Street? You must remember that. A while ago every thing you did said you-hoo missed me... I guess that's over now.

Excuse me if I break my own heart tonight.

Yours,
Allie

I NEED AN UPDATE

2009-03-26T15:21:00.002-04:00

Anyone see Idol last night? I was doing some vocal coaching for a very promising new girl group and had to miss it...

NICE!

2009-03-26T14:45:00.005-04:00

Here is Wyatt's list of most influential albums (in no particular order):

Queen- News of the World (my first album ever, I think I was 3)
Nirvana-In Utero
The Dead Milkmen- Big Lizard in my Backyard
Modest Mouse- this is a long drive for someone with nothing to think about
The Beatles- Abbey Road
Songs:Ohia- Ghost Tropic
Smog- Wild Love
Pink Floyd- Meddle
Fugazi- Repeater
Pavement- Wowee Zowee
The Smiths- The Smiths
Califone- Roomsounds
Bauhaus- Mask
David Bowie- The Man Who Sold the World
Echo and the Bunnymen- Heaven up Here
Television- Marquee Moon
Patti Smith- Horses
Joan of Arc- How Memory Works
Yes- Fragile
Pixies- Bossanova

Now that the three of us have all posted lists it's time to analyze. First and foremost: there is no one album that is on all three of the lists. We each cited a Beatles album but all different ones. We also all have Songs:Ohia on our list but Wyatt had to go and be different with "Ghost Tropic" while Jeff and I had the "Magnolia Electric Co." album on our lists. Jeff and I have five common albums, Jeff and Wyatt have one. Wyatt and I, however, have none. Interesting...

BOYS...

2009-03-25T10:32:00.005-04:00

You can't have a band with them... pass the beer nuts.

Here's Jeff's list of most influential albums, unabridged:

marquee moon - television
revolver-beatles
gp/grievous angel - gram parsons
sticky fingers - rolling stones
exile on main street - rolling stones
being there - wilco
everybody knows this is nowhere - neil young
piper at the gates of dawn - pink floyd
doolittle - pixies
songs of leonard cohen - leonard cohen
magnolia electric co. - songs:ohia
nowhere - ride
isn't anything - my bloody valentine
stone roses - stone roses
appetite for destruction - g'n'r
velvet underground - self -titled 3rd album
highway to hell - ac/dc
crooked rain, crooked rain - pavement
seamonsters - the wedding present
louder than bombs - the smiths
music from big pink - the band
workingman's dead - the grateful dead
bayou country - ccr
hunky dory - david bowie
lady soul - aretha franklin
everything the kinks recorded from 1966-1970
plastic ono band - john lennon
dusty in memphis - dusty springfield
sweetheart of the rodeo-the byrds
funhouse - the stooges
tim - the replacements
closer - joy division
gilded palace of sin - flying burrito bros.
faith - the cure
daydream nation - sonic youth
modern lovers - modern lovers
pyromania - def leppard
#1 record/radio city - big star
pink flag - wire
entertainment - gang of four
your living all over me - dinosaur jr.
mezcal head - swervedriver
yerself is steam - mercury rev
xo - elliot smith
i want to see the bright lights - richard & linda thompson
viva last blues - palace
galaxie 500 - on fire
violent femmes - s/t
slowdive - souvlaki

No list yet from Wyatt...

Speaking of gender issues in music (something I have a chip on my shoulder about sometimes) my March On the Beat is up.

CHEAP!

2009-03-18T17:30:00.002-04:00

There are 12 copies of our first album Pole to Pole for sale on Amazon.

THE CRAZIES ARE OUT

2009-03-18T11:29:00.003-04:00

I think that the crazies in this town come out in waves. You won't see a seriously crazy person for a while and then all of a sudden they are everywhere. I think it has to do with the phases of the moon or the seasons or something. This morning they were out. One of them sat next to me on the 7 train. He was sort of staring at me for a while but I pretended not to notice and didn't look up from my book. Then all of a sudden he started muttering. I couldn't understand him at first and then, as he got louder, I picked up a few words - "David Lee Roth" and "Chocolate Milk". When the volume got even louder it was completely clear that he was saying "David Lee Roth drank a hundred chocolate milks? He is going to be sick tonight. Eddie Van Halen, David Lee Roth drank a hundred chocolate milks! Chocolate milks. David Lee Roth. Chocolate milks."

IF THEY MATED

2009-03-18T10:57:00.008-04:00

I came to the conclusion last night that Anoop Desai is the perfect combination of Kal Penn and Michael Cera. This probably explains why I like him so much. Harold and Kumar and Superbad are both pretty high up there on my list of favorite movies.

I like Juno, too. And, House. Anyhooz... Anoop kicked ass last night. I might have to buy this:

As for the rest of the top 11 - I like the tender dogg (Kris). He was good. Adam's Ring of Fire display was creepy and made me uncomfortable but I think that was what he was going for so, Congrats, Adam. You pulled it off. Your voice is incredible. Randy Travis seemed utterly stumped by it, though. Poor Megan was sick but more than made up for it in boobs. I voted for Anoop but I thought about voting for Scott. I really want him to stick around. I think Alexis should be eliminated, or maybe Michael Sarver.

BEL AIR VS. FACEBOOK

2009-03-10T15:56:00.007-04:00

I tried putting Bel Air music up on Facebook but, in order to upload songs, you have to provide 8 kinds of valid ID with pictures and raised seals.

Huh? Too hard!

So, I thought, since I could'nt bring Bel Air to Facebook, I would post a recent Facebook thing that's going around right here on our official blog. The idea is to post your top 20 most influential albums of all time. These are supposed to be albums that "had such a profound effect on you they changed your life or the way you looked at it. They sucked you in and took you over for days, weeks, months, years. These are the albums that you can use to identify time, places, people, emotions." Here's mine (in no particular order):

1. Appetite for Destruction - Guns 'n Roses
2. Thriller - Michael Jackson
3. Blue - Joni Mitchell
4. Lover Man - Carmen McRae
5. Sgt. Pepper - The Beatles
6. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot - Wilco
7. GP/Grievous Angel - Gram Parsons
8. Violator - Depeche Mode
9. Survival - Bob Marley
10. Blue Light, Red Light - Harry Connick Jr.
11. OK Computer - Radiohead
12. XO - Elliott Smith
13. Pentouse - Luna
14. Faithless Street - Whiskeytown
15. 10 - Pearl Jam
16. This Year's Model - Elvis Costello
17. Grace - Jeff Buckley
18. Car Wheels on a Gravel Road - Lucinda Williams
19. Magnolia Electric Co. - Songs:Ohia/Magnolia El.Co.
20. Black Sheep - Martin Sexton
21. Music from Big Pink - The Band

I'm not winning any originality awards here, I realize.

Maybe Jeff and Wyatt will post their top 20s, too.

In other Facebook/blog/life news - please check out this post on Grant Miller Media - 25 Random Things about Me! by Bryan Adams.