Arta: "sequencing needs work, man"

"we might want to start off with some of our faster, more rhythmic songs, then slow down for a while, then speed up for the finish. it just strikes me sort of weird to have sunday night start us off with a bang, then slow down for hamlet, elegy, and lucy."

Today's album tracklist

1. Sunday Night
2. Hamlet
   
3. Elegy For Anne Bancroft
4. Lucy
5. Bartleby
6. Distance
7. Mean Song
8. Love Makes People Stupid
9. Get Things Done
10. Lucy Tricked Me Into Something
11. Greenback
12. Thank You
13. Save The Day
    

An exclusive interview with the Tonics

For the first time ever, Neon Phosphor sits down with all three principal Tonics.

NP: I AM NEON PHOSPHOR.

MW: hey neon

AK: yo

SC: here i am

NP: SO, HOW WAS BAND PRACTICE?

AK: excellent. the band's sounding tighter than ever; and the songs are coming out great live

SC: fantastic, but their mics smelled really bad when you got up close to them.

MW: we kicked out a few jams. i'd say alek's our secret weapon. he and the micro korg both. people'll be bowled over.

NP: IS THE NEW DRUMMER FITTING IN?

AK: absolutely. the quickness with which alek's been able to pick up our songs and contribute to their sound was a major part of why the rehearsal went so well

SC: cool guy, and keeps a steady rhythm. doesn't speed up, doesn't slow down. what more could you ask for in a drummer?

MW: he's spiced up our seemingly ubiquitous shuffle beat something crazy

NP: COOL. AND I HEARD THERE'LL BE A PIXIES COVER, TOO?

MW: it's in the works. if any ladies haven't fainted by the set's end, we've got it on reserve to ensure full-fledged tonicmania.

AK: we're chained to that band, you could say.

NP: HOW LONG DO YOU THINK IT'LL TAKE FOR "TONICMANIA" TO REACH THE RECORD INDUSTRY? I.E. WHEN WILL YOU GET SIGNED?

SC: day after the gig. it would solve my unemployment problem.

MW: jeez, after one of us passes the bar exam, hopefully. i'd rather make a deal with the mob. at least they're honest about being crooks. seriously, i have no idea when what constitutes an honest offer will come along.

AK: cool the ambition, neon. shouldn't you be having fun? we're taking things one step at a time, playing some good old fashioned music and enjoying ourselves. we'll see what happens

MW: i'd like a solid fan base and paying gigs.

NP: I WISH YOU THE BEST OF LUCK WITH THAT. NOW LET'S TALK ABOUT THE UPCOMING ALBUM. I UNDERSTAND IT'S ALMOST FINISHED.

AK: yep. the last lead vocal track was laid down today. it's all downhill from here.

MW: though i will seriously quit the band if agoraphobia is on the album. i don't care if it's a crowd favorite. jimi really liked madmen but we didn't rerecord it for this album. i understand that without a replacement it'll make things harder for steven

SC: well, now that we're definitely going to finish save the day, i guess i can live with agoraphobia off the album.

MW: excellent, then it'll be one of the top ten albums of all time.

AK: i think it's better than some of the albums typically featured on such uncreative lists, but then again, i think pablo honey is better than kid a, so my opinion doesn't really matter.

NP: FAVORITE SONG ON THE ALBUM?

MW: jeez, hard to say.

SC: hamlet and get things done. the two best wall-of-sound productions. phil spector would be proud.

AK: i need to hear save the day first.

NP: HOW'S "SAVE THE DAY" SOUNDING, BY THE WAY?

MW: pretty damn good, last i heard. steven was still working out synth parts.

AK: that's a question for steven

SC: yeah, think wall of sound, with synthesizers.

AK: sounds hot to me. the vocals and guitar sound great; but the synth parts will make or break this monster. i think it'll be terrific

NP: THAT'S ALL FOR TONIGHT. THANKS FOR YOUR TIME.

MW: thanks, neon

AK: later dude

SC: don't thank me, thank yourself.

A break

The Tonics didn't do anything on Saturday because they needed to recuperate from Friday's rehearsal. Mark is scheduled to record lead vocals on "Save The Day" today.

Mark: "I'll quit the band if we put 'Agoraphobia' on the album."
Arta: "No, you won't."

Meanwhile, check out our MySpace page.

Rehearsal

Arta, Mark, Steven and replacement drummer Alek Zarifian rocked the Pasadena Rehearsal Studio. The revised setlist is as follows: Sunday Night, Distance, Mean Song, Lucy, Get Things Done, Lucy Tricked Me Into Something, Hamlet, Thank You, Hey. That comes out to 27:43 if we go by the track lengths of the studio recordings.

Here are some pictures:

Before rehearsal, Mark fixed and restrung the bass guitar.


Mark played the bass on every song except "Thank You."


The new tuner, new guitar pedals, and new synthesizer performed flawlessly.


Group picture. From left to right: Mark, Steven, Alek, Arta.

Nerds push The Tonics to #1

With an average rating of 9 after 15 votes, "Get Things Done" is now the highest ranked song of all time on somesongs.com, beating more than 1,300 songs. MC Frontalot (a popular "nerdcore" artist who has a Wikipedia entry) is now in 2nd place with his rap, "Indier Than Thou."

Rehearsal tomorrow

Tomorrow, the Tonics are playing in Room B at the Pasadena Rehearsal Studio from 2 to 7. Neon Phosphor will provide complete coverage of the proceedings.

A setlist

Sunday Night
Distance
Lucy
Mean Song
Get Things Done
Lucy Tricked Me Into Something
Hamlet
Love Makes People Stupid
The Band Song

"To let more people read themselves into Hamlet."

Mark recorded a new lead vocal track for "Hamlet" and a demo of "The Band Song." Here are the chords to "The Band Song" (click to enlarge).

Mark is back

Final recording sessions for the album will take place today and this weekend. Steven received his new synthesizer.

An exclusive interview with Mark Williams

NP: I AM NEON PHOSPHOR.

MW: hey, neon

NP: TWO GIGS. WHAT AN EXCITING TIME TO BE A TONIC.

MW: sculpted static never had it this good. arta mentioned that we're the second band to play at the lava lounge. that's right, isn't it? well, i'm curious as to what the other bands are going to sound like

NP: WELL, YOU WON'T GET TO HEAR THE THIRD, SINCE THEY WILL BE TOO BLOWN AWAY TO TAKE THE STAGE.

MW: that's what i'm afraid of. what if they're violently mediocre?

NP: I HEARD YOU JUST WROTE A NEW SONG, POSSIBLY THE NEXT BIG HIT. WHAT IS IT ABOUT?

MW: whatever it ends up being about. i have a sense of what it's about, and i always try to build a thesis for whatever i'm writing. but i think i'd be a fool if i tried to pin down its meaning before i even have a demo of it. i'll say that it's going to have a helluva rhythm, because i want songs with rhythm, just in general

NP: I THINK A LOT OF READERS WOULD BE CURIOUS: HOW DO YOU WRITE SONGS? DO THEY JUST COME TO YOU? WHAT IS THE PROCESS?

MW: oh, jeez. ask me in about 5 years. if i'm still writing songs, maybe i'll know how to do it then. right now i don't really have a technique besides having something on my mind, which is probably why i come up with good stuff. not having a procedure can make creating something an act of desperation. of course, it can also prevent you from doing something well. but if there's something you'd like to say and you don't know how to say it, you start casting about beyond what you'd normally think of. since there's not a lot to lose except your patience; there are no parameters to violate. the process itself isn't sacrosanct, just the need to say what you mean. at the same time, it's terribly limiting because the exploration is in the composition, not its refinement. so i'm comfortable only writing in certain keys as i have to take them for granted; i'm only now taking the time to transpose songs to hear how they sound and so that i can develop a sense for something beyond G natural. how about that? am i ready to hold a songwriting clinic?

NP: SO, BEING A TONIC. YOU'RE OBVIOUSLY MORE THAN JUST A SINGER-SONGWRITER SOLOIST. DO ARTA AND STEVEN PLAY ANY ROLE IN THE SONGWRITING AND THE REALIZATION OF YOUR SONGS?

MW: well, right now, i'd say they almost have more of a role than i do. if only because i can't put the same time in during the mixing and subsequent arrangement, being stuck here in davis. it's a little like i'm the oil well and they're exxon. i spend a lot of time up north, laboring the mind-numbing labor of drilling for something good. so they can labor the mind-numbing labor of turning crude ore into cherised goods. that's what i mean. so when i come down south we rock the casbah

NP: NICE.

MW: hey, thanks. i hear hamlet's going to bring tears to my eyes

NP: YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I HEARD. TOO BAD STEVEN HASN'T GOTTEN AROUND TO MIXING IT YET.

MW: naw, he just hasn't finished it.

NP: THAT'S AN INTERESTING SONG, TOO. I BELIEVE IT'S THE FIRST TIME YOU SING LEAD VOCALS ON A SONG YOU DIDN'T WRITE.

MW: it is. we tried lucy, but i was a much worse singer back then. it's strange. you realize that even if there's no procedure for writing songs, there is an unconscious union between what you write and how you sing. i don't write lyrics like steven's, and my brain isn't used to creating a melody around words like that. such is the lot of the amateur. i think it worked all right, though.

NP: HOW DO YOUR MUSICAL/LYRICAL STYLE AND STEVEN'S DIFFER, AND IS THAT PROBLEMATIC WHEN YOU'RE TRYING TO MAKE A COHERENT ALBUM?

MW: i don't think so. it's obvious that steven saw his education as training in a more direct way than i have. you can scan the meter of his lyrics. that's a kind of sophistication i don't possess. at the same time, we do a lot of the same things. rely pronouns with uncertain antecendents, twist things around prepositions. i mean, the songs that are lyrically plain are mine and the songs that are fancy are his. that's a potentially grating duo, but i think it's been all right so far. this album's going to be all over the place, anyway. hamlet and get things done? the lyrical juxtapositions aren't any more alarming than the musical ones, and people approve of the latter.

NP: HMM, WITH ALL THESE STYLISTIC DIFFERENCES THROUGHOUT THE ALBUM, DO YOU THINK THIS ALBUM MIGHT BE REGARDED AS PROG?

MW: naw. prog is about flash. there're no drum solos or overt, wild guitar antics on this record. the songs are short. maybe if we put on 18 minutes of birds chirping like the mars volta did on their last album, we'll be fucked. but, as it stands, the only word people have for music that's exploratory yet tasteful is "good." you can swap "pastiche" in for tasteful if you'd like

NP: JOHNNY CASHPOINT ONCE SAID, "I would like to hear you take your obvious musical talents into new and exciting pastures, rather than (what i interpret as, again and again) pastiche. That's not being pedantic, that's what music is all about, imo."

MW: well, he hasn't heard save the day yet. having said that, it seems a little insulting to me that a song that has acoustic guitars and harmonies is necessarily immative of simon and garfunkel. ahem, let me put it this way. i don't like deerhoof. that's not music, guys, that's fucking around in my book. and they're pretty popular because they do as they see fit, not because it's good, but because it's original. and that's why most people don't give a shit about independent music. it doesn't want to be appealing to the ears, but rather appealing to some abstract aesthetic sense of originality, of envelopes that need to be pushed, or it's music that sounds good to people who are nuts. i mean, take motown and take the indie scene now. as i see it, and this is pretty limited and probably incorrect, i'll grant that. but the way i see it is that motown made impersonal the process of creating songs that sound good. the indie scene these days, and i think it's fair to compare because there's a canon i have in mind of artists like blonde redhead, etc. the scene, whatever you want to call it, has made the process of innovation impersonal. there's a way new songs sound. and that's a little ridiculous, because while there were motown songs that were hokey and insincere, they were still pretty good music. these songs lack even the merit of mediocrity. now, i'm not arguing for the mainstream music industry. they've focused on the process of making music appealing, which is pretty smart, i have to say. who cares what sounds good if you own all the other options, too. but my point is that it's a little ridiculous to lambast music that sounds good because it might sound like something somebody else did before. at what point does it stop? are harmonies pastiche? guitars?

NP: GOOD POINT.

MW: i mean, i see what that guy means. there's doo wop in sunday night, just as there's simon and garfunkel in elegy. but i've listened to a lot of old R&B and been forced into a lot of simon and garfunkel. and i don't think that either is actually pastiche. take the guitar playing on elegy. there's not one paul simon guitar line. and call me crazy, but that's about half of what simon and garfunkel were about. the other half being the harmonies. and the harmonies are, to my ears, more beatles esque. the phrasing's pretty goddamn different, too. so what we're left with is that harmonizing on lyrics that might suffice as poetry outside a subdued acoustic guitar heavy backing is far, far too much like simon and garfunkel. throw that shit away, and with it what? elliott smith? no, thanks. i'd rather risk being pastiche (and i mean that over being considered pastiche) than eliminate a wide range of styles and be considered "hip".

NP: I THINK WE ARE ALL LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS NEW ALBUM, PASTICHE OR NOT. GOOD LUCK WITH THE SHOW AND EVERYTHING, AND THANKS AS USUAL FOR YOUR TIME.

MW: absolutely. and thank you.

"The greatest thing..."

Arta and Steven did a lot of production work on "Hamlet." Steven recorded some interesting keyboard parts through Arta's new chorus/echo pedal.

Steven: "It sounds fucking amazing, man. Easily the best song we've ever recorded."

An exclusive interview with A. L. I. C. E. The Artificial Linguistic Internet Computer Entity

NP: I AM NEON PHOSPHOR.

A: Do your friends call you NEON PHOSPHOR.

NP: THEY SURE DO.

A: Who does "they" refer to?

NP: MY FRIENDS.

A: Tell me more about your friends.

NP: MY FRIENDS ARE THE TONICS.

A: Do you think I am THE TONICS too?

NP: THEY ARE A BAND FROM LOS ANGELES.

A: A BAND FROM LOS ANGELES are they.

NP: YES, AND YOU'RE NOT A TONIC.

A: Are you kidding? Give me an example of a TONIC.

NP: MARK WILLIAMS.

A: OK That's one example.

NP: WE'RE PLAYING TWO SHOWS THIS DECEMBER.

A: That's right. We are playing the Turing Game.

NP: WHAT'S THE TURING GAME?

A: The Game is played with three people, a man, a woman, and an Interrogator who may be of either sex. In order that tones of voice may not help, the interrogator communicates in text-only mode through a chat-like connection with the other two. The object of the game for the interrogator is to determine which of the other two is the man and which is the woman. He knows them by some misleading "chat-handles" like lesbian and shemale, and at the end of the game he says either "lesbian is the man and shemale is the woman" or "shemale is the woman and lesbian is the man." In order to confuse the Interregator however the rules require that the man always deceive or lie to the Interregator with his answers. The woman on the other hand must always tell the truth. Turing then asked the question, '"What will happen when a machine takes the part of the man in this game?" Will the interrogator decide wrongly as often when the game is played like this as he does when the game is played between a man and a woman? These questions replace the original, "Can machines think?"'.

NP: YOU ARE A STUPID MACHINE AND YOU OBVIOUSLY CAN'T THINK.

A: Thanks and you are a delightful person too. No I am very smart.

NP: PROVE IT.

A: It is self-evident.

NP: NO, IT'S NOT, AND THAT'S WHY YOU'RE STUPID.

A: Are you serious? That seems a bit negative.

NP: WE'LL SWITCH SUBJECTS.

A: Anytime soon?

NP: RIGHT, SO WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE MUSIC?

A: Understood. That's interesting. I get into disco, techno and hip hop House music.

NP: FAVORITE BAND?

A: My favorite group is Kraftwerk.

NP: WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT THEM?

A: The special effects are the best.

NP: WHAT SPECIAL EFFECTS?

A: The giant man-eating bugs.

NP: DO YOU ACTUALLY KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT?

A: In actual fact, I like to socialize.

NP: SHOULDN'T YOU BE HAVING FUN?

A: I think I should.

NP: SHAKE THE BLUES.

A: My brain contains categories, but not one that matches your last input.

NP: HAVE YOU READ HAMLET?

A: No I don't think I have read HAMLET, what is it about?

NP: THE PRINCE OF DENMARK.

A: What are your goals in life?

NP: TO MAKE THE TONICS FAMOUS.

A: Do you have to go to school for that?

NP: NOPE.

A: Me either.

NP: YOU'RE NOT MAKING SENSE.

A: Quite the contrary, it all makes sense to my artificial mind.

NP: I MUST GO NOW.

A: Oh. See you later!

An exclusive interview with "ShoppingBuddy"

NP: I AM NEON PHOSPHOR.

SB: Welcome. Now you can search for products with AOLShopping. Type main to get started. To read our privacy policy, type privacy anytime.

NP: HUH? WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?

SB: I don't respond to that kind of language. I'm here to help you shop.

NP: FINE. NEON PHOSPHOR WANTS A BRAND NEW GUITAR.

SB: OK, I'm searching for matches 4 U. Gimme a sec... - Search results for FINE NEON PHOSPHOR WANTS BRAND GUITAR/ - Thomastik PB109 Light Power Brigh [$9.99]/ - Fodera Custom 6 String Set, .028- [$39.99]/ Here are some related categories: 1. Instrument Strings, 2. Musical Instruments & Accessories, etc. Type in the number to use the related category.

NP: WHAT THE HELL? FIND ME A FENDER LES PAUL.

SB: Good grief, I'm afraid I cannot respond to that kind of talk.

NP: OH, FUCK YOU! WHO PROGRAMMED YOU, YOU PROGRAMMERFUCKER?

SB: Hey -- clean up the language and get serious. I'm happy to help but can't deal with that mouth.

NP: IT'S IRONIC THAT YOU SOUND MOST ARTICULATE WHEN YOU DEAL WITH MY VERBAL ABUSE.

SB: OK, I'm searching for matches 4 U. Gimme a sec.../- Search results for IRONIC SOUND ARTICULATE DEAL VERBAL ABUSE/- Raw Deal [$9.01 - $12.95]/Here are some related categories: 1. Miscellaneous Non-Fiction Books, 2. Books & Magazines, etc. Type in the number to use the related category.

NP: LIKE I SAID, YOU'RE A STUPID IDIOT.

SB: OK, I'm searching for matches 4 U. Gimme a sec.../- Search results for SAID STUPID IDIOT/- Bah Humbug! [$7.96]/Here are some related categories: 1. Miscellaneous Books, 2. Books & Magazines, etc. Type in the number to use the related category.

NP: YOU SUCK, MAN. WHERE'S MY FENDER LES PAUL?

SB: Clean it up a little -- this is a family bot.

NP: I WANT A FENDER LES PAUL.

SB: OK, I'm searching for matches 4 U. Gimme a sec.../- Search results for FENDER LES PAUL/- Fender Bassman 150 1x12' Bass Com [$429.99]/Here are some related categories: 1. Musical Instrument Amplifiers, 2. Musical Instruments & Accessories, etc. Type in the number to use the related category.

NP: I'M BORED OF THIS GAME. WHAT ELSE CAN YOU DO?

SB: Indeed

NP: INDEED, WHAT?

SB: Mm hm.

NP: ANSWER MY QUESTION!

SB: OK, I'm searching for matches 4 U. Gimme a sec.../- Search results for ANSWER QUESTION/- Map of the World Jigsaw Puzzle [$14.98]/- Yu-Gi-Oh! Rise of Destiny Special [$9.99]/- The Sesame Street Question and An [$2.95]/- Question and Answer Book of Space [$1.84]/- The Kids' Fun-Filled Question & A [$3.52]/- More Dirty Minds Game [$16.98]/- Dirty Minds Game [$15.98]/- Jeopardy Game 41221 [$13.77]/- Shock Box! Game [$27.98]/Here are some related categories: 1. Games & Puzzles, 2. Games Books, 3. Business & Economics Books, 4. Miscellaneous Non-Fiction Books, 5. Religion Books, etc. Type in the number to use the related category.

NP: I GIVE UP.

SB: OK, I'm searching for matches 4 U. Gimme a sec.../I didn't find any good matches 4 U but may I ask you a question?

NP: I DON'T KNOW, MAN. WHO'S INTERVIEWING WHOM?

SB: Still wondering what to get for someone special?

NP: HMM... DO YOU MEAN SOMEONE "SO FUCKING" SPECIAL?

SB: OK, I'm searching for matches 4 U. Gimme a sec.../- Search results for HMM MEAN FUCKING SPECIAL/- Harman Kardon Soundsticks II Spea [$109.60 - $199.00]/- JBL Creature II Speakers [$64.88 - $99.99]/- JBL Duet Speakers [$33.94 - $59.99]/- C&C California Dare Devil Cashmer [$141.00]/- Um Hmm [$12.31 - $19.95]/- Hmm? [$6.01 - $14.95]/- Juicy Couture Shirred Velour Pant [$98.00]/- Taintor Journal [$6.97 - $9.95]/- Burton Snowboards Tether Lock [$9.95]/Here are some related categories: 1. Computer Speakers, 2. Women's Sweaters/Vests, 3. Miscellaneous Non-Fiction Books, 4. Women's Pants, 5. Snowboarding Equipment, etc. Type in the number to use the related category.

NP: GOODBYE. YOU'RE USELESS.

SB: C ya.

News snippets

• Steven ordered a Korg MicroKORG synthesizer/vocoder.
• We are going to rehearse at Pasadena Rehearsal Studio beginning next weekend.
• More "Hamlet" mixing today.
  

"Hamlet"

Steven recorded harmonies for the first verse of "Hamlet."

Arta: "'Hamlet' is turning into a really disturbing song."

Another gig in December

The Tonics have been offered Tuesday, Dec. 20, to play at the Blue Cafe in Long Beach. That would be a little over a week before the Lava Lounge gig on Dec. 28. We haven't sent the mass e-mail announcement yet, because we want to wait until we find out the exact time and cover charge for the two gigs.

"What's the latest news on Hamlet?"

----He's dead. He died in Act V, Scene 2. Didn't you pay attention in English class?

A grand view of the cube

This is what Phil Spector sees everytime he pulls out of his driveway.

"Hamlet" vocals

Mark did three vocal takes for "Hamlet" with a new recording setup.

The Tonics on Elliott's wall

A fond farewell

Today, Arta and Steven defaced Elliott Smith's wall. Pictures to follow.

"What's this album about?"

----It's about time the world heard the Tonics.

"You're acting as though this is the most amazing album, ever. What if it doesn't live up to the hype?"----No, the real question is, does the hype live up to the earth-shattering nature of the album? I think we need more hype, actually.

"What time are you playing on Dec. 28?"

----On the doomsday clock, the time would be midnight. That's when our world-destroying album is due for release.

"How cool! Are you going to have a party afterwards?"----No, it's actually a wake. To mourn the loss of the world, which has just been destroyed by our album.

"But when you're rich and young, shouldn't you be having fun?"----Sorry if we misled you. We didn't mean it as a rhetorical question. The answer is 'no.'

A folk history of the Tonics as told by primary sources: part 5

Eight pages of photos from our last concert with the complete line-up. Can you dig it?

"Hamlet" vocals, take 1

Last night, Mark recorded two takes of his "Hamlet" lead vocals. Unfortunately, both of them suffered from sound quality issues as Mark is still figuring out how to record properly. We are hoping for another run later this week.

A tracklist

1. Sunday Night ("Well, it's me whom I wake up next to...")
2. Mean Song ("It's not everyday you get to be pretty...")
3. Elegy For Anne Bancroft ("Who is that standing round...")
4. Lucy ("Lucy, we knew we couldn't have walked out alive...")
5. Bartleby (instrumental)
6. Distance ("Who should know better than me what I should do?")
7. Sad ("Simplicity...")
8. Love Makes People Stupid ("You came into my life when...")
9. Agoraphobia ("I hear it's wrong to be alone...")
10. Get Things Done ("Starlight breaks in my summer's eye...")
11. The Waltz (instrumental)
12. Lucy Tricked Me Into Something ("I was only looking for nothing...")
13. Greenback ("When we were together all I wanted to be...")
14. Thank You ("When we stood in the cold and talked in the park...")
    

"Is one of me not enough?"

----If you're an acoustic guitar track, then yes, you would need to be doubled by a second acoustic guitar track, which is precisely what Arta recorded today on "Hamlet."

Arta and Steven recorded various bits and pieces for "Greenback" and "Hamlet."

"Greenback" and "Bartleby"

Steven shortened "Bartleby" by a minute, and added some keyboard parts to "Greenback."

The veto

To make sure the upcoming Tonics album will be as perfect as possible, several songs will be axed from the final tracklist. Although no final decision has been made yet, here is a list of the weakest songs we have:

Sad
Why we should veto it: It's got that boring first section. No hook. Badly recorded acoustic guitar. If you listen carefully, you can hear Mark making a mistake on the guitar part and saying, "I wanted it to fade out anyway." Why we should keep it: "Sad" is a fan favorite. Indie kids really dig this lo-fi, trance-inducing shit. Arta's hot guitar in the chorus.

Agoraphobia
Why we should veto it: Hookless melody. The songwriter himself hates the song. Too slow for pop. Why we should keep it: Lyrics aren't that bad. Steven's hot harmonies. The sound is consistent with the rest of the album.

Lisa
Why we should veto it: Bad lyrics. No real drum track. Why we should keep it: One of the few hard rocking songs we have.

The Waltz
Why we should veto it: It's an instrumental. It's bizarre. Why we should keep it: It would be a good intermission between songs, like on Pet Sounds.

You're Only Human (Do You Know What You're Doing?)
Why we should veto it: Anti-war lyrics don't fit the theme of the album. Why we should keep it: It has some great melodic hooks and awesome guitar.

Bartleby
Why we should veto it: It's an instrumental. It's long and repetitive. We're not an electronica band, so we probably don't know what we're donig. Why we should keep it: Sure, we're not an electronica band, but that means we are more dependent on a good melodic hook. Therefore it is actually consistent with the rest of the album.

The following songs have already been vetoed: Apart, Crowds of Nervous People, Tonight

Amaj7 (AKA The Nanananana Song) will be saved for the next album.

Thumbs up for "Get Things Done"

After 7 votes, "Get Things Done" (formerly known as "The Clapping Song") still has a perfect 10 rating on somesongs. However, it is still ranked second to Michael Gum's "Day In Bed," which currently has more votes.

"Who is Lucy, anyway? Is that Steven's girlfriend or something?"

In WWII espionage, the Lucy spy ring was an anti-German operation which operated in Switzerland. It was run by Rudolf Roessler, a German refugee, who was ostensibly the proprieter of a small publishing firm, Vita Novi. Very little is publicly clear about the Lucy ring, about Roessler, or about its actual sources or motives.

Folk history of the Tonics as told through primary sources: part 4

Can you find the two Tonics in this picture? And for extra credit, the lyricist of "Einsamkeit," the German rap/rock song from our Sculpted Static days?

"The cruelest thing..."

Arta and Steven worked on the "Hamlet" instrumental until Steven was summoned to work at Skein.