"Are you doing anything with 'Pixies?'"

----No, but we'd like to have Kim Deal as our bassist/singer!

"Who plays bass for The Tonics, anyway?" ----Mark has played bass on about 1/5 of the Tonics recordings, leaving Steven on the rest. The switch-off happens, on average, 80% of the way through any given song.

"What's the most interesting thing about this album?" ----Portions were recorded in the same house where Beverly Cleary once lived.

"Is this an album for children?" ----No, it's definitely anti-children. "The cruelest thing is to let a child into this world so cruel..." but to those unluckily born, we express our condolences through this album.

Greatest moments in rock and roll, part 4

Notable switches between lo-fi and hi-fi sound on recordings

Blonde Redhead - "I Still Get Rocks Off" (0:38)
Blonde Redhead - "Mother" (0:25)
Blonde Redhead - "Equus" (3:18)
Rilo Kiley - "The Good That Won't Come Out" (3:40)
Rilo Kiley - "A Better Son/Daughter" (1:40)
Belle & Sebastian - "Beautiful" (4:53) (lo-fi excerpt from alternate take, bleeds in after the song ends)
Brian Wilson - "Our Prayer/Gee" (1:33) (hi-fi sound fades in)
Pink Floyd - "Wish You Were Here" (0:59) (hi-fi acoustic guitar over lo-fi electric)

This is an effect that can only be done in a studio. So, if done meaninglessly, it could sound contrived and stupid. Blonde Redhead uses it to remind their listener of the live concert experience (lo-fi sounds like the live "bootleg" tape). The belle & Sebastian example follows a similar philosophy as Blonde Redhead. Rilo Kiley do not apply the technique well, making it an artificial jolt of a climax to their songs that becomes too predictable upon repeated listening. Brian Wilson recently used the technique on the Smile album. The effect bridges the gap between the "doo-wop" of the jukebox 50s to the "barbershop quartet on acid" of the hi-fi 60s. And finally, the most well-known example is the beginning of Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here", which works well to sound like someone playing the guitar along with the radio.

Sculpted Static used the technique on "Opium."

The Tonics go mono?

Steven experiments with mixing in mono, following the method of Phil Spector and Brian Wilson. Sir George Martin once said that he wouldn't even think about mixing into stereo until the very end of the mixing process. Mono mixing forces proper EQ distribution and ensures a rich sound on AM radio.

Greatest moments in rock and roll, part 3

("Will this web site ever change?"----It changes everyday.)

The Greatest Descending Melodies Of All Time

The Shins - "Saint Simon" (0:00-0:10)
The Shins - "Weird Divide" (0:03-0:07)

Yeah, I know it's indie rock, but it's hard to find a melody that tops the first ten seconds of "Saint Simon." It literally takes your breath away because it's one continuous melody with hardly a pause. The Shins' own "Weird Divide" comes close, but that melody clocks in at only 4 seconds.

Massive Attack - Teardrop (1:03-1:13)

Elizabeth Fraser's voice twists and turns in a mind-fucking way as it goes down the scale (and up the scale for a few moments). You'll have to hear it to believe it.

The Beach Boys - Heroes and Villains (0:00-0:08)

It's just, note-for-note, a descending D major scale. But it works.

An exclusive interview with Mark Williams

NP: I AM NEON PHOSPHOR

MW: though currently on a short hiatus, i'm still the greatest songwriter ever

NP: TO YOU, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE LATEST MIXDOWNS?

MW: the experimental injections of ian's drumming. the shocking clarity and apparent aural sophistication of each component song track, especially the vocals. and, finally, the inexplicable experiential cohesiveness evocative of a live performance

NP: HOW WILL THIS ALBUM "SHAKE THE FOUNDATIONS OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION", AS ARTA PUT IT?

MW: well, we're reinventing the pop song, in the fashion of the beatles and the beach boys, so the common culture will have to thank us for that. as for shaking the foundations, there won't be any foundations. as to how, how does a song like "i'm so tired" blow your mind? the same way we're going to shake some shit up

NP: WHAT'S IN YOUR CD PLAYER RIGHT NOW?

MW: i wish i could be an honest fan of the art and tell you that it's a specific album, but in truth it's a mix of songs i've had stuck in my head. the kinks, lots of lou reed, television, one beach boys song, some van morrison and a pavement song that sounds like it's gotten lost at a church picnic.

Re-recording of "Crowds"

Steven recorded keyboard tracks for a new version of "Crowds of Nervous People," this time with a metronome. It might still be possible to use Arta's old guitar take.

"Are you still looking at a June release date?" ----No, I'm looking at a computer screen and inching closer to complete blindness with each moment I spend fielding your stupid (answerless) questions.

"You really need to chill out." ----If only i had another outlet in my room to plug my electric fan into.

"Are you really going to record some vocal tracks outside?" ----If you mean outside of your nosy earshot, then yeah.

"Will the voice of Lothar be on the album?" ----Ah, Neon Phosphor's second cousin. how's he doing these days?

Greatest moments in rock and roll, part 2

The Smiths - "The Queen Is Dead" (0:00 to 0:46)

"Take me back to dear old Blighty,
Put me on the train for London Town,
Take me anywhere,
Drop me anywhere,
Liverpool, Leeds or Birmingham
But I don't care,
I should like to see my ..."

I don't bless them
Farewell to this land's cheerless marshes
Hemmed in like a boar between arches...

Quite possibly the most exciting, certainly the most wickedly creative, introduction to a rock song, ever. The real innovation is the processed "I don't bless them" spilling into the airy, sustained fade in of "farewell", which overlaps onto the rest of the line: "to this land's cheerless marshes...", which is finally in clear, unprocessed vocals.

The Tonics might try something like that to spice up the beginning of "Hamlet."

"What is the biggest challenge regarding this album?"

----I'd have to say the piano, which takes up about 30,000 cubic inches and weighs over 400 pounds, although it's not really a challenge since we don't have to move it anythere. Our second biggest piece of equipment is the keyboard, which takes up half a dorm room and is probably a fire hazard.

"So, seriously. what's this album about?" ----It's about 45 minutes long, probably. maybe more.

"What are some of your inspirations as a musician/songwriter?" ----Usually, something like 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, 1% argon, among others. Sometimes, mixed with tobacco and other shit.

"I heard that 'Filler' sounds like the Yeah Yeah Yeahs." ----Hmm, I guess it does sound like The Beatles... although it's more like "Octopus's Garden" and "A Day in the Life" than "She Loves You..."

Summit scheduled

Steven and Mark schedule another infamous musical summit for February 19-21. In the past, such meetings have resulted in landmark achievements like the recordings of "Apart" and "Curb Crawling," and the composition of hits like "Distance." What can we expect this time????

Greatest moments in rock and roll, part 1

On the album, The Tonics will be experimenting with single- and double-tracked vocals, and combinations thereof. So here's a Neon Phosphor spotlight on the band that made double-tracking great:

The Beatles - "I Should Have Known Better" (2:01-2:21) off A Hard Day's Night.

The real innovation of this song is the last half of the last verse. Not that The Beatles needed any gimmick to make the song more interesting, but this one really adds magic to the song. For the first 2 minutes of the song, we hear John Lennon double-tracked (he liked the effect because he hated his voice). Pretty standard stuff. And then...

"that when I tell you that I love you, oh/ you're going to say you love me too, oh/ and when I ask you to be mine"

Holy shit, John's now single-tracked. To put it in more distasteful terms, this is the equivalent of a solo singer stepping out from his boy band/ a capella group near the end of the song. But this is a full-blown rock song, he doesn't need a cheesy chorus behind him going "ooh" and "aah". It's all in the production, but it makes the world of a difference. Why is this technique particularly effective at that point? Well, single-tracking exposes all the subtleties of the singer's voice. It makes the singer sound more honest, especially when done in conjunction with the most heartfelt part of the song.

The second best part of the song is when the double-tracked vocals rejoin the song, IN THE MIDDLE OF A WORD. It happens on the second half of the word "mine."

Look for The Tonics to use this technique on songs like "Lucy," "Blank Page," and "Distance."

"Are you worried that college might be holding back your budding musical career?"

----The oldest Tonic is only 21. At age 21, here's what the legends were doing:

Brian Wilson (in 1964) composed "Dance Dance Dance," "Help Me Rhonda," and was still a year away from Pet Sounds.

John Lennon (in 1961) played the Cavern club and Hamburg with The Beatles, a year before they even signed to EMI.

Paul McCartney (in 1963) recorded songs like "All My Loving" and "Hold Me Tight." Rubber Soul came two years later.

Roger Waters (in 1964) had just formed Pink Floyd. At this point, they were three years from their debut album and 9 years from Dark Side of the Moon.

Morrissey (in 1980) was still two years away from forming The Smiths with Johnny Marr.

Thom Yorke (in 1989) was still playing with On a Friday.

Kurt Cobain (in 1988) had just formed Nirvana and was a year away from recording Bleach.

So, considering the quality of our new album, I'd say we're right on schedule.

Anti-prog

Steven re-recorded lead vocals for "Tonight."

"I think I'm going to double-track all of my lead vocals." He also recorded more keyboard parts on various songs, including a new piano part for "The Clapping Song."

"What's the album like?" ----Like a boxer. Hit after hit after hit. Hook after hook after hook.

"What are you doing with the last half of 'Apart?'" ----I have some ideas. None of them are guitar solos. This will be a solo-free album. Part of our anti-prog statement.

An exclusive interview with Steven Chow

NP: WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE SONG ON THE ALBUM?

SC: right now i'd have to say the clapping song. tonight is sounding good, too. and don't forget hamlet, surely the dark horse of this album. when we get past all the problems with it, it'll be amazing. ultimately, they will all be my favorite songs.

NP: WHICH SONGS ARE YOU MOST WORRIED ABOUT?

SC: hamlet and crowds need work on the arrangement. and the songs we haven't started: spanish song, alpha/omega and mean song.

NP: HOW ARE YOU GOING TO PERFORM THIS ALBUM LIVE?

SC: i think we'd look for about 5 musicians on craigslist to do the extra harmonies and keyboard/guitar parts. these songs are too good to be compromised on stage. listen to the beach boys doing good vibrations live and you'll see what i mean. also, i don't think we'll be performing until the record has made us somewhat famous, anyway.

NP: WHAT'S THE PRODUCTION PHILOSOPHY ON THIS ALBUM?

SC: it can't ever be boring. it can't sound sparse or sound like it's missing something. but anything we put in there must be clean and melodic. lots of vocal harmonies, oohs and ahhs, all over the place. and anything else that bothers us, even a little bit, we'll fix before we release it. the more we re-record something, the more time we spend on the recording, the better.

A quiet day of production

Steven recorded the bass for "Filler" and "Apart," and additional keyboard tracks for "Apart" and "Save the Day." He made a mix of "Save the Day" with vocals from the old version.

Many of you probably know that our drummer Ian Asbjornsen is also the drummer for a classic rock jam band called Triple Threat. Did you know that he's also an accomplished remix artist? Ian, who works under the pseudonym "dj polar bear", is a featured artist on this site: http://ccmixter.org/, so go and support him.

Sculpted Static unreleased song of the day

"Did anything happen today?" ----not that I know of. Time for a spotlight on "Cube":

In some ways, "Cube" is the missing link between Sculpted Static and The Tonics. It was Steven and Arta's last attempt to write an instrumental together----the collaboration that had served them well during the old days, but was getting increasingly impractical. Steven's lyrics, on the other hand, were getting more and more bitter, and hinted at the themes of disappointment and disillusionment that would characterize his lyrics for The Tonics:

Vultures and canisters
You think you're so magical
You killed the answers
So expirational
But E. I feel no way could I destroy like you I say
In pain your vanity has sucked up half your brain

"Cube" was recorded in June 2004, at the same time as "Opium" and "You're Only Human." Alas, the multi-movement effort proved too difficult, and the project was canceled before the drums and final vocal takes were completed.

News is going to be a little slow from now until June

"Will you post audio files for us to preview?" ----I don't understand audiophiles who bitch about EQ spectra, argue that vinyl sounds better than digital, and spend thousands on hi-fi equipment. You can normally get by with a 3-piece speaker set from Rite Aid, although I'm very curious to hear what the Bose wave radio sounds like. In conclusion, audiophiles are a bunch of...

"No, I mean, will you post mp3s for us to preview?" ----No.

Top ten reasons why you want to listen to the new Tonics album

10. Acoustic guitar played throughout!
9. Distorted guitar played tastefully, i.e. there is none
8. It's not prog, metal, or the combination of both
7. They've got two main vocalists, like The Beatles. And everybody loves The Beatles
6. If you're reading this, you're probably one of their friends, and you can probably get a copy for free
5. In five years, you want to be able to brag to your friends, "I heard The Tonics before they were famous!"
4. To hear them before they sell out to a record label, even if it's an indie one
3. Poor Mark. Poor Steven. The least you could do is to listen as they pour out their hearts.
2. You're sick of the shit they play on the radio
1. They're not the Monotonics

NEON PHOSPHOR didn't have access to the internet today, but that doesn't stop him from updating this page for later upload.

Sculpted Static flashback of the day

Steven somehow tuned "Lucy," "Agoraphobia" and "The Clapping Song" to standard tuning. This begs the question: what kind of black magic did he perform on them? "I didn't. All I did was speed up the flat tracks to the right tuning, then slow them down to their original lengths (using the similarity function to avoid any distortion)."

Studio wizardry like this could get you burned at the stake in the 17th century. Which brings us to our Sculpted Static flashback of the day featuring "Goodwife Drew."

Written by Steven in 2002 as the "heavy" song for a demo CD, the final recorded take included Arta on rhythm and lead guitar, Mark on the two lead guitars in the bridge, and Steven on vocals, intro guitar and keyboard. The result sounded something like Black Sabbath.

Who could forget the wonderful lyrics like:

cows have died
we know why
yours didn't die
you didn't cry
we know very well that you're a witch

The track appeared on mp3.com until fall 2002. The band considers it one of the worst songs they have ever recorded, but it sure was entertaining...

Tonic now in Berkeley

Steven's mobile recording studio has been successfully relocated to Berkeley. We anticipate Mark will visit Berkeley sometime this semester to record. Steven: "I'm so bored at Berkeley, my pet project this semester is to convert all of our songs into standard tuning if they aren't already." To that I say... good luck.

Anytime you delay a monumental album like this, the danger (or advantage, depending on how you see it) is that the band members may write new songs that will seem better than the old ones, necessitating lots of extra recording. While that will drive up the quality of the album, it can also delay an album indefinitely and reduce the motivation for the band to do promotional work for the stuff that's already done. Hopefully, this band will stick to the goal of a summer 2005 release and then take a much-deserved break from writing.

What do you think, Mark?

Mark hears some of the mixes for the first time in a few weeks. A decision is made to re-record the piano part on "The Clapping Song" and some vocal tracks. Also, the album release has been postponed to summer 2005.

Mark on "The Clapping Song": "be prepared for some mind altering vocal tracks tonight... the clap will give the clap because it's so deep. it'll blow your mind. the lyrics will bowl you over"

"Why the delay??" ----Great art is not to be rushed. We have to get every second of the album perfect, at the same time working at a more natural, leisurely pace. So... we need more time.

"Will there be an EP?" ----Maybe. We're talking about it. The Distance EP part deux? Stay tuned.

Q&A with Neon Phosphor

(Arta recorded an intro for "Apart." He tried recording a new guitar part for "Hamlet" but couldn't get the guitar in tune with the piano.)

Q: how did you get this gig to write for the tonics' website?

NP: SAME WAY THEY GET GIGS. BY STORMING ONTO THE STAGE DURING SOMEONE ELSES' PERFORMANCE

Q: why do you speak in all capital letters?

NP: AS FREDDIE MERCURY ONCE SAID, "I LOVE MY STYLE"

Q: hmm.... i think he actually sings, "all love must die"

NP: FUCK YOU! WHO'S GIVING THE ANSWERS, YOU OR ME? ... I THOUGHT SO.

Q: you've called yourself a bastard child of sculpted static. care to explain?

NP: I OWE MY LIFE TO MY FATHER, LOST CHILD, WHO ABANDONED SCULPTED STATIC ON THE EVE OF SOUND CHECK. IN HIS PLACE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE MY TWIN BROTHER VELVET ROPES, BUT HE WAS SADLY STILLBORN. AND SO I WAS BORN, AND NAMED IN HONOR OF THE YOUNGER LOST CHILD.

Q: so, you might say... "child is the father of neon phosphor", eh??

NP: STICK TO THE QUESTIONS, LITTLE FUCKER. I'M SUPPOSED TO BE THE CLEVER ONE AROUND HERE!!!!

Q: ok. favorite place to hang out?

NP: THE CONVENIENT STORE UNDER THE STREETLAMPS. I LIKE TO "BORROW" THEIR LIQUOR. OH I AM SO CONVENIENT.

Q: where do you stand on the american war against terror?

NP: I SAID IT IN 2002 AND I'M GOING TO SAY IT AGAIN. PEOPLE WHO TORTURE PEOPLE ARE THE SCUM OF THE EARTH.

Neon talks gear

Ian recorded drum tracks for "Tonight," "Portrait" and "Greenback." Two very early rough demos of the album are made and distributed to friends.

"What's the budget for this album?" ----Excluding the equipment we already have, we have spent $40 for new speakers from Rite Aid.

"I heard of some band that spent $1000 on a new mic." ----Honestly, I don't notice the difference between mainstream, high-budget recordings and the ones we are making with the $30 RadioShack mic we've been using since the days of Sound Check. If anything, our recordings sound better because they are produced with more love and care. For the kind of music we do, we don't believe in using recording studios because they are a complete, criminal ripoff in this day and age when you can put together a decent home-recording studio for cheap. Remember, most people don't give a flying fuck about your sound quality if the songwriting and arrangement are good.

"Do you read books about recording techniques?" ----We once had a book called Home Recordings with Pro Tools, but mostly for the Pro Tools Free CD that came with it. The book taught us the keystrokes and shit like that, but you will learn mostly by doing. And that's what we've done for the past 4 years. I've seen other books about recording music, but they are such a dreadful bore. Especially those that expect you to buy a $500 mixing console, $1000 mics, and MIDI shit. One day, I will write a book about the joys of recording with a portable tape recorder.

Ian's day in the sun

Today, Ian recorded drum tracks for "Apart," "Agoraphobia," "Distance," "Lucy," "Hamlet," "Clapping Song" and "Filler." More drumming scheduled for tomorrow. Early mixdowns sound great. There is a question about the jazz piano line in "Clapping Song" and whether it is dissonant with Mark's melody. "Distance" is possibly finished.

The new Tonics album: where fun becomes something horrifying, like our recording schedule.

"Interpret your album within the art historical context." ----The way of the future.

"Future? Is there a lot of electronica involved?" ----In the post-apocalyptic future as prophesized by Sculpted Static's 2nd album, Sunny Ash, there are no computers. We anticipate a future with exotic and primitive instruments such as the guitar, piano, drums and voice.

Arta: "The theme of this album is agnosticism in every sense. Agnosticism and scepticism."

The Rime of the Studio Engineer

Arta recorded an acoustic guitar track for "Hamlet." Steven recorded more harmony vocals for "Distance." Recording of "The Spanish Song," scheduled for today, has been postponed.

"Will you finish 'Opium' for a b-side release?" ----Why bother? There's two versions out there already.

A remixed version of "Thank You" from Sunny Ash will appear on the new Tonics album. Mark announces plans to rewrite its lyrics.

The Rime of the Studio Engineer
by NEON PHOSPHOR

It is a studio Engineer,
Stopped by a software glitch
"O cursed Faders up and down
"Cubase is such a bitch!"

A valiant attempt is all but futile
To restore the work unsaved
An exercise of Repetition -
By necessity is braved.

(Vocals, vocals, every where
And all the tracks did bloat
Vocals, vocals every where
Pitch shifted note by note)

"It seems the server ate my files
"To scour for new hosts!"
The usual fate, I was then stopped
By the studio Ghosts.

The Ghosts of Edits much regretted -
They did their job destructively.
Unnatural fade outs, gaps of silence,
All mixed unconstructively.

The Ghost of Noise not quite reduced
Left a high-freq hum behind -
And when I asked for an undo
He graciously declined.

The Ghost of EQ to disperse
The sound in ways of clarity -
The only thing that separated
Was my own frail sanity.

My weapons in hand I fought the Ghosts
The Keys on left and Mouse on right
Undefended though were my two ears
They sliced at them with all their might

For then they played the sorry mixdown
Enough to drive one mad
I'm speechless to describe the Noise
Beyond - eternal - "bad!"

Guided by voices

More vocal work today on "Lucy," "Tonight" and "Distance."

"Is this a concept album?" ----I like to see it as a coherent collection of pop songs. If we include song transitions and tracks bleeding into each other, we'll try to do it in a non-prog way.

"Which famous album would you compare it to?" ----Revolver, Pet Sounds

Arta: "I'm not trying to be a primadonna, but I don't want to hear it that way." (refusing to hear his error-ridden guitar track until it's been edited)

"Allusions in this album? I hear they're everything from Emily Dickinson to TS Eliot to the Bible." ----That's what you get when the two lyricists are English and comp lit majors. Actually, if you think our lyrics are loaded, go read some Radiohead.

"Any musical allusions?" ----Steven quotes some unidentified jazz piece, and Arta quotes from "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)," which we actually tried to cover a few years ago.

"Any truth to the rumor that 'Neon Phosphor' will be recorded for the album?" ----Hmm...what use do we have for someone who sings in all capital letters?

Repairing Lucy

Arta and Steven worked on some new guitar parts for "Lucy" in an attempt to make it sound less like Sculpted Static and more like The Tonics. They also started recording Steven's "Tonight."

"So what can we expect from this album?" ----We expect this album will make us famous.

"What inspires you to write music?" ----Disappointment, disillusionment and the feeling of emptiness, combined with a strange and illogical desire to stay alive.

"In one of your songs, you sing 'love makes people stupid.' Does it really?" ----First of all, that's love as in romantic love. And stupid? Well... love drives people to buy very perishable roses for $5/ea. on Valentine's Day, make insincere little gift baskets wrapped up in red and pink and purple, filling up the baskets with books and music that will remain unread and unheard by the beloved, at the same time feeding the corporations which live off this irrational behavior. Love causes people to forget each others names, replacing their last bastion of individualism with words like honey, dear and darling. And of the many ways to commit suicide, the most pathetic is to enter a relationship: you cease to be yourself when you start doing things that you loathe, just to please the beloved. For those who really get deep into this dangerous addiction, they're just setting up for a big letdown. but don't get me wrong, sometimes you do want to kick back and be stupid, just not when you're making the most important album of our generation. Ideally, I'd like to fall in love with someone who doesn't believe in love.

"You're too young to be so cynical. This is why you're all single" ----That is actually not true. One of us is currently in a relationship, to use that dreadful term.

"So you're really trying to be The Smiths?" ----Oh yes. Except you've got it a bit reversed. The Smiths were trying to be what we are now.

Filler material, please

More recording work on "Filler" and "Lucy."

"Why did you veto 'Opium?'" ----Although Coleridge used it to good effect, you really need a certain bit of consciousness to record properly. Incidentally, I heard that the first track of My Bloody Valentine's Loveless had the singer record her vocals in a half-awake, half-asleep state after being dragged out of bed.

"So there's going to be real piano on this album?" ----Hell yeah. It'll have the same honky-tonk fidelity as the one on the 70s era Peanuts cartoon specials.

Yes, "Lucy tricked me into something" has made it onto the album as the coda of "Filler!"

Opium smoked

Today, Steven vetoed "Opium." Arta and Steven worked on a new song called "Filler," and Arta's guitar parts on "Apart," "Distance," and "Lucy." "Lucy" sounds a little bit shite. We're not too sure what's wrong with it. Maybe it's because Sculpted Static wrote it.

"Filler? I thought this was the greatest album ever!" ----No, it's actually "fill her." We wouldn't dream of allowing second-rate material onto this album! In our waking life, however...

"There are rumblings that The Tonics are ready to quit while they're ahead, making the album one of the greatest unreleased records ever." ----We appreciate the comparison to The Beach Boys' Smile, but the rumblings you hear are actually from the thunderstorms uncharacteristically affecting SoCal at this moment.

Flying cars

Today, Ian listened to every song on the album. Steven worked on mixing and started recording "Opium." He also did some work on "Distance" and "Clapping Song" harmony vocals.

"What about album art?" ----Flying cars.

"Fascinating. Who's going to draw those flying cars?" ----No, we're actually going to package the CDs into actual flying cars. The CDs will be installed permanently into the car stereo systems.

An exclusive interview with Steven Chow

NP: WE LIVE IN TROUBLED TIMES. HOW WOULD YOU SOLVE THE WORLD'S PROBLEMS?

SC: yarn

NP: WILL YOU FOLLOW IN THE TRADITION OF SONGWRITERS WHO KILL THEMSELVES, SUCH AS KURT COBAIN AND ELLIOTT SMITH?

SC: needle in the hay? would you like it a plymouth 10" bamboo US size 10? or do you want the shitty plastic ones.

NP: IF YOU COULD PLAY ANY VENUE, WHERE WOULD YOU PLAY?

SC: knitting factory

Currently listening to:

The Tonics, who else?

Steven worked on bass parts for "Lucy," "The Clapping Song," and "Agoraphobia," harmony vocals on "Apart" and "Agoraphobia," and a piano track for "The Clapping Song."

"Stop putting words in my mouth." ----Too late. Go join the union of disgruntled fictional characters against playwrights, novelists and lyricists.

"Mark claimed that the album takes an anti-blogging stance. Is that true?" ----Well, I'm not against blogging but only that our peers don't seem to have anything fascinating to say on their blogs. Except, of course, thetryingmadcap.

This web page, ironically, is a blog. We love irony and the album is full of it.

"Will you release a single ahead of the album?" ----None of the eligible bachelors in this band seem interested in leaving The Tonics. So the answer is no.

Old and new "Apart"

Steven recorded some organ parts for "Apart" and performed minor surgery on Mark's vocal tracks.

"Let's talk about the last album." ----There is no last album.

"I mean, Sunny Ash by Sculpted Static... will the new recordings have the same fidelity as the ones on Sunny Ash?" ----Oh, good lord, no. They're all in stunningly higher fidelity.

"So it's studio quality?" ----Oh, there's that, but I was actually referring to the crisper, more pointed wit of the lyrics.

"I heard a rumor about band tension over Steven's 'Spanish Song.'" ----Sure, if you're talking about the rubber band keeping our microphone attached to the stand.

"Mean Song" and mean questions

I listened to some early mixdowns. They sound good already, which is a good sign. Mark just wrote a new song called "Mean Song," about suicide, which means it'll definitely make the cut. Too bad he's going back to Davis tomorrow but he'll do some recordings up north.

"Okay," ----Here it comes.

"When is this album going to be finished?" ----Does it really matter? It's not like we're working on a deadline for some record label. This is art. Art happens on its own time.

"But rock ain't art." ----Ha! We're not exactly rock. And no, we prefer not to be labeled alternative, either.

"How about indie?" ----How about classical? We'd prefer the company of Sophocles, Euripides, Homer, etc. At least they had something to say.

An exclusive interview with Mark Williams

NEON PHOSPHOR speaks to the genius behind "The Clapping Song," "The Mean Song," "Alpha and Omega," and lots more.

NP: WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE COLOR?

MW: fuck that. i mean, i'm sorry, it's all about context, how it fits in. chartreuse could be if it's got the right backing. that's why sonic youth's ok, and so are the stooges. all that shit, that fuzz and overdrive and cracking up and down the tape, it has its place. so colors are nothing by themselves.

NP: WHY CAN'T YOU JUST SAY GREEN LIKE SOME NORMAL PERSON!!!!!!!!!

MW: normal people make normal music. i try to do something else

NP: THERE YOU HAVE IT, OOPS I NEED TO TURN MY MIC OFF

there you have it. from the mark himself.

"I want to celebrate the new year. What's a good drink?"

----Vodka and TONIC, of course.

"There's already a band in Scotland called The Tonics." ----And there's millions more of you, too, Lucy...

"Who is Lucy, anyway?" ----As you listen to the song, if you'd only willfully suspend your disbelief that you are Lucy, then you are.

"Is it true there was going to be a song called 'Lucy tricked me into something'?" ----Are you saying I'm Charlie Brown?

"What is that creepy building on the Sunny Ash cover?" ----OUR DARK LORD.

"I can't wait to hear this album!! Are you going to release the songs as they are finished?" ----No, but if you are reading this, you probably know at least one of us, anyway. So ask us and we'll be glad to play you what we've got.